


Project PTC 1: The Killing Game Rough Draft 1

by SfrogPlus



Series: Project PTC [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Dark Magic, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mansion Fic, Middle School, Multi, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Vampires, Witches, angst with open ending, killing game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22779688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SfrogPlus/pseuds/SfrogPlus
Summary: Our main character was not an impressionable person. In fact, if you ever met her in real life, you'd think to yourself about something other than her, because she wouldn't be able to meet you.Instead, she'd be at her private middle school, where she would be... with her best friend, Ghost, an impressionable person.But if you ever were to meet her, you'd notice her blank stare, painted arms with paint, and slightly skinniness. And then you'd think to yourself,"It wasn't really worth it."And then she would say something, something that would shock you, "You remind me of the dead body of my parents, dead and rotten, have you ever seen it? I certainly haven't. They aren't dead, but how would I know that? I could be lying to myself for all I know."Anyways, I'm bored. Do you want to make a bet? Well, I don't really care about your opinion, since it doesn't matter in the first place. The bet should be..."Do you think I'll die in the end? I bet so! So you have to oppose me, be the villain, ok? And... If you win, I get to die for real! And if I win..."It'd be unfair for you to know, don't you think?"
Relationships: 123 & Conner Knox, 123 & Ghost & Noone, 123/ Ghost, Boe Nino & Sakurashi Leigh, Fiona Myren & Lily Coleman, Ghost & Lilith Vargodnoc, Ghost & Sakurashi Leigh, Jonathan (Cryboy) & Leon (CATguy), Kundersholtment & Finn Ortiz-Perez, Lilith Vargodnoc & Neptune Kanaan, Lilith Vargodnoc/ Yume Nino, Lily Coleman/ Conner Knox (One-sided), Neptune Kanaan/ Kundersholtment, Original Character & Original Character, Original Character(s)/Original Character(s), Sakurashi Leigh & Jonathan (Cryboy), Thing/ Leon (CATguy), Yume Nino & Boe Nino
Series: Project PTC [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637674





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out Danganronpa V3, a game... Of, you know, because that's where I got my inspiration for the story from. ok, and tell me if there are any mistakes. bye.

“Shadows.

Shadows are something that everybody knows; Everybody sees. We are fond of them following our every move. The very definition of shadows is  a  _ dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.  _ Of course, shadows were never that.

They are something used as a familiar for a witch, useful for when much darkness is needed. Shadows have been used over centuries and millenniums. To the point where witches have learned how to bring them out of the ground only  just a couple of years ago.

That was the witches' mistake. They were too carefree, too ignorant of what they were doing.

Today, shadows disappeared. Humans cannot make sense of this, even when they try. But every now and then, witches see the monsters that were once shadows. The only time that happens is when it is trying to kill the witch though.

Those small appearances of the monsters are called  _ Tams _ .  Deadly, disturbing, creatures of the dark, crawling in your spine and created by you in your nightmares. 

Legend- Er, rather, during the few years Tams have been around, a small rumor has begun to spread around, accumulated with lies and truths combined, filled with grief for the deaths. Rumor has it that… that the creator of these creatures was still out there, planning the end of the witch race.

But this is boring. And I would rather not talk about this if it isn’t about Ghost anyway.  Oh. What’s my opinion on this whole matter? Well, um, I’m not quite too sure. I think that the creator is plainly just messed up.”


	2. Conner Knox

Opening my tired eyes, I found myself staring at a white wall with Christmas lights hung around and a freezing temperature hitting my skin. I assumed I was in a pile of many pillows and something hard or a thousand mattresses with 3 beans underneath. I decided to go with answer A for my first choice.

“...” This silence was enjoyable. I rested my strangely tired eyes for a second as a small shiver was sent up my spine.  I saw something black and transparent crawling, perhaps floating on the top of the ceiling of where I was.

_ “Ignore it _ ,” A dark and ghostly voice whispered, I echoed it in a hushed mumble.  I put my hands on my face, slowly rubbing my eyes. For a silent minute, I stared at my hands. They had long fingers, with wrinkles and an “M” on my palm; covered 20% marker and pen marks.  That didn’t help me, so I sluggishly got up from the pile of pillows. Looking around, I realized that this place was unfamiliar.

Stretching with every movement, I barely reached the closest thing to me, clothing drawers. I eagerly opened the drawers. They were messy, full of mostly bright shirts or pale shorts and tights.  They were for females and seemed my size, so perhaps they were mine. But who knows?

To the left of it was a window. Well to be more descriptive, it was a square window decorated with a white border, fingerprints, and small marker streaks. It seemed to belong to me even without my memories, after using a few seconds of my time and deduction. An eleven-year-old girl stood straight, reflecting from inside the window.

_ Is this… you? Probably.  _ _ Ha, you look awful.  _ I hoped that was just a joke, whatever type of stupid joke that was that meant.

The girl had chestnut skin and ink-black, shiny hair, like a Mexican , which I’m not too sure if I was. I doubted so . The most noticeable thing was her eyes , Asian looking interestingly enough . White and pupil-less. Personally reminded me of one of those stretchy toys you get at a store.  I would hate to cut one of those in my past and it comes back to haunt me. That would not be very pleasant.

_ Gee, are your eyes  _ _ “special” _ _ today _ _! _ _ No wonder you seem so tired. _ I blinked.  By special, he probably meant instead of “special”, disgustingly ugly. 

When I looked at the window again, her eyes were full-on red with a sinking black lines. It was quite scary, even if my heartbeat remained subtly calm and I never changed the bored look on my face.  The strange voice was right. I DID look horrible. I ponder why I looked like this anyway, so early in the morning.

_Pretty sure that stretchy toys don't turn their eyes red. Unless it knows witchcraft._ What a late response.

I immediately turned away from the window, trying to ignore the girl behind the window, focusing on the other unique, less scary things. I was now very much awake,  taking dark blue glasses off a counter and throwing it onto my face.

I noticed that the  absurd  pile of pillows on the bed. The bed itself was simple with thin sheets, I found it unusual since I knew the season was winter. And above that bed were many small canvases and pictures and colorful slaps of paint and sticky-notes. Too many sticky-notes for me to count. After well thought out resolution, I decided to go and read one. I read it out loud and in my head.

_ “The brighter it is, the more the shadows. _ Huh… my handwriting is really neat.” I nodded in admiration, thinking that maybe I had a friend write it for me. The only person that came to mind was Ghost, my best friend.  Why could I remember him and not myself?

_ Maybe if you ask him… No, you shouldn’t burden him.  _ _ Gosh, voice in my head. That’s so melodramatic. Maybe next time, try to convince me. _

A  medium-sized  white desk was next to my basic bed, covered  with novelty joke pens, a white mug with pencils, red scissors and a  small black bag, opened up to reveal  expensive-looking  markers. Underneath  the desk were  thirteen different colored notebooks full of blue-inked pages overflowing with words and words  and words .

_Forty-seven pens. Thirty pencils,_ _twenty colored pencils, zero being red, and nine pencils with patterns drawn on them, only one of them being_ _. Eighty_ _“_ _Ohuhu_ _”_ _markers._ The numbers came naturally to me. 

_ Maybe you like doing math and art?  _ The voice suggested.

I sighed about my lost memories as I sat on the bed and tried to at least organize this mess. I knew it would probably be hard for my brain to since I seemed like an untidy human, which I didn’t mind too much.

I picked up a colorful backpack, mostly  full of  bright orange and dark blue, with small triangles being different colors. I carefully put it down after noticing pencils and pens hanging out the side pocket,  slightly falling.

After getting every seven different sized  and green-leafed  pillow s off my bed, I noticed a large lump underneath the  thin  sheets  of my bed .  I hesitantly pulled the sheets down ,  where  there was a familiar boy that made my heart skipped a beat.

The eleven-year-old  boy , with awfully pale ski n and a small frown resting on his face, seemed to be resting . He had ink-black hair in a small mess that made him look childish with the fact it made him look paler, which  I remember always made me worry. The boy’s mouth was slightly opened, showing his very sharp canine teeth,  making me recall how he calls himself a “Vampire”, which is either A, yes, or B, no. It was obviously answer B. He had long eyelashes that made him look more like a girl than I  am. 

_ Now I’m doubting if I’m a girl!  _

You’re a girl?

_ Nope! _

A guy?

_ Nope! _

_ … _

He wore funeral clothes, _ like always. _

__ How long have you been here with me anyways? 

_ “The voice shrugs” _

__ Stop narrating yourself and your non-existent, stupid shoulders.

The funeral clothes, to be more descriptive, were made up of a white dress shirt, long sleeves and plain black pants  Through his shirt, I noticed black, thick and thin lines repeating on both his arms . They were his tattoos which I never saw much,  nor cared enough about. He probably got them in that one winter we were apart in 2016, though that doesn’t make sense when minors shouldn’t be allowed to get tattoos. Oh well.

_ “The girl shrugs.” _

Stop narrating everything, terrible describing voice.

His name,  nickname I meant , was Ghost. He told me his true name would weaken his ‘vampire self’ every time I called out for him, so that meant his name is Catholic or Christan . I don’t even know where his nickname came from . He was a very caring person but acted strangely near others and lies a lot. By a lot, I mean A LOT. Even so, I knew I could put my entire trust with him. 

_ Why? _

__ Because I can... I think.

Then here was h is red pupils. As red as the eyes of the girl behind the mirror earlier, which I have forgotten about after a while. Yes, red. That has and always has been the undeniable color of his eyes. It matched his vampire act  which must have been the start of his strange interest in that field. It never bothered me too much. His vampire act, I mean.

Ghost sat up without any hesitation and  awkwardly smiled in my direction, scratching the back of his head.

_ It’s almost like he wasn’t asleep at all… No, why would  _ _ your beloved Ghost _ _ do that?  _ The voice inside my head  sarcastically giggled, laughing, mocking me.

“Hi there..?” He said as if it were a question, with a slight accent  I couldn’t quite make out, but liked anyway. “Looks like you felt like staring at me  too much today.” He mumbled the rest  of his stiff words .  I knew he wouldn’t do it, but it sounded like he was purposely trying to make his voice unclear. 

_ Paranoid much? _

I shook the voice out my head, as if I  actually could shake it out , then I would get the answer.  The answer would be A. What is A you ask? I don’t know. “Changes are good...Good.”  Ghost continued. I nodded as if agreeing with him. I wasn’t, I just felt like nodding. Is that so wrong?

I went back to staring at him with a blank look in my eyes,  dead in the eyes. I suddenly remember that whenever I looked at people with this usual way, they say I’m glaring . “Why are you here?” He stopped smiling and tilted his head slightly with an innocent look on his face.

“I… am here because this is my room.” He lied, his red eyes widening  to show confusion . But even knowing he lied, it looked so believable.  _ Like always _ .  The voice was right on that one.

_ You know he’s lying since the clothes and color of the seven pillows. Why? Doubtlessly to find out, like a small test… But what? Could it be something related to your memories? Most likely. So he knows. And that this has happened befor- Just… stop thinking.  _ _ My most definitely existent head hurts now, and yes, it does feel pain. _ I agreed with the voice.  Not on his non-existent head, but because there was absolutely no reason to distrust him. None at all.

“ Actually, it’s mine. Unless you like math, crossdressing, art, messes, and colors. Sorry to say, but you definitely look like you like to crossdress.” I finally reacted. He  clumsily laughed at me, knowing I was right in all of those.  ALL. ”Why are you here?” I  calmly but impatiently repeat my question for the second time.  Maybe he didn’t clearly understand my question. Maybe he was an idiot. Maybe he was too stupid to realize that “why are you here?” is a question. 

“You know, after trying to read your expressions for years, I realized how disgusted you can look underneath that absurdly thick mask you conveniently have. Anyway, you are  straight to the point even after I avoid it.” He said as if  just realizing I was actually me . “So assertive,” He  flashed me a satisfied smile at me, ”That’s what I like about you anyway.”  I stared blankly back at him.

“Why are you here, Ghost?” I asked him once again for the third and last time , I hoped . ”I won’t trust you as much if you keep avoiding the answer.”  Gosh, that sounds so dumb. Trust? Answer? Simple-minded if I’ve ever seen it.

Ghost’s head drooped, with a fake frown that he always used as a backup plan to make people feel bad for him, which could never work on me.  _ Hey, do you think that if I did that, people would feel bad for me? _

He finally answered in a small voice, like he was afraid I would get strangled if he spoke.  I doubt he would be sad if he was the one strangled, this strange guy.

_ What would you get strangled by? _ I thought casually for an answer as Ghost answered,” I needed blood.” I came to the conclusion that I would get strangled by a red string called ‘ Fate’.  Cliche, am I right?

After thinking for a few seconds of what he said  and it clicking in , it suddenly made sense to me , a bit too slowly if I must say for myself . Why I was in a pile of pillows leading up to why he lied. Another vampire act was the final answer.  Another lie told by him. Another fake reason. It’s fine.

“Oh. Okay.” I nodded in acknowledgment of his answer. His face lit up as if he just got all his test answers correct.  Right then, I could have chosen to dispute over his small lie that would have become big. I could have chosen to ask the truth, further myself into whatever could be the truth. But I didn’t. There were two answers: Choice A, to rummage into the truth. Choice B, to not rummage through the truth.  I began to move next to Ghost , in my head, decisively choosing choice B.

He smiled at me, the second honest one today. Ghost then proceeded to slip his hand onto my head, petting me as if I was his cat. “ So, did ’ya wake me up for something? ” he  asked with a small tilt of his head.

I immediately shook my head. “No. Just felt like waking you up just by managing to stare at you.”

Ghost awkwardly laughed in reaction to me. Then his head perked up, towards the door. He looked busy doing something even though he had just woken up. He turned to me with an excuse of a smile and apologized, “Sorry. I’ll come back later. Bye!”

“Bye, Gho-” Before I could finish, he jolted out and waved. And that was it.

I  stared blankly at the door , coming back to reality or whatever strange Universe I was living in  before I saw Ghost . A shiver was sent up my spine  as I glanced once more around the room, noting more and more stuff scattered untidily around the room. 

A broken jar on top of a small wooden stool. A golden rose-covered designed hourglass, red sand inside. A red poster on some video game, with a disturbing-looking cat with one eye. On the floor, a pile of books ranging from Pre-Algebra to a comedy horror to a classic like Alice through the looking-glass. 

Two picture frames, one filled with a gray background and me, peacefully standing still in a black dress with long sleeves, black tights, and red shoes. It made me wonder why I was dressed for a funeral. That was Ghost’s thing, not mine. The other picture was of Ghost and curious strangers. A female wearing a witch hat and lab coat, another girl with goggles, some masked dude with an old cape, a white-haired dude with pinkish skin, _ what? _ blah blah blah blah blah. Who cares about the small stuff? All I need to know is that Ghost is in that picture. 

_ You- Ugh. Well, I’m sure you’ll meet them soon!  _ I decided to not respond.

“...”

Silence again. It calmed my heartbeat down.

After  a few seconds,  _ twenty-eight seconds to be exact _ , I stood up  in a small daze , walking to the girl in the window again. This time it was a normal girl with black pupils, maybe brown, slightly dilated. Dried blood from two marks of my neck.  The top of her head was slightly more ruffled and- 

_ It’s a mirror _ _. Just a simple mirror _ _. _ I sighed in relief, then put on a shaky smile on my worried face . It immediately fell apart after five seconds, replaced by an unamused stare. Oh well, at least I know I tried. I don’t know if I’ll remember, but it’s fine.

_ You must not let anyone see you when you’re weak, it would just be burdensome. _

I nodded to myself,  or the voice. Whichever of one of the stranger one of us talked. Wonder which one was that? I searched through my drawer of unfolded clothes. A war-zone, I must say.

My school is quite a freakish school. It was a private boarding school that has the entire city of 81,000 kids legal enough take a stupid test on prime subjects specialized to each grade, and only a few pass- like 20,100- and take ANOTHER test to become this: Special-case students called Ultimates, excelling in the directed area of talents, hobbies, or their futures. Mostly just futures, where they could cause the fifth Industrial Revolution. All the other students are sectioned into those categories of talents that they chose. No, it isn’t free, you had the choice of whether to go and get a better “modern” (whatever that means) future.

There were at least nineteen different options for talents if my memory serves me right, but I get a strong feeling that it’s actually twenty, since this school loves the number 0 . Each part of the school (Elementary  with 7,620 , Middle  with 6,100 , High school  with 6,380- The reason I know this is because, at the very beginning of each year, the principal gives off an enormous list of numbers. I swear half of these kids don’t even understand. I think he tries a new, stupid poem each year too. Or maybe that’s Ms. Waffles, the pancake-loving German high school teacher who teaches French, even though she has never learned it.  ) had their own  twenty Ultimates, adding up to sixty in total.

They got to stay up past 3:00 every two weeks on Saturday and be forced to attend a party. Some kids don’t go, sometimes most kids don’t go, and oh! You wake up the next morning and all that when outside, the school has some blue graffiti which some kids manage to sneak in.

_ It sounds tiring to choose. _

Yeah, too much stuff. It sounds like some stupid story leading up to something terrible. Which by the way, why can I remember everything else but not people and myself?

“The voice shrugs.”

You’re starting to get on my nerves. And what’s with all these indirect answers?

“The voice mumbles something, something unclear.”

All of those  “special-cased”  Ultimates have the option of customizing their own outfits to maximize productiveness, as long as it was appropriate and actually helped them. I do not know how I know this, but it helped me theorized my own theory as I picked up a uniform out of the drawers.

I had a sleeveless collar dress with four buttons, a red thin lace to put on as an essentially bow, and thin maroon tights. I observed the fact that I had three badges. One is  the school’s symbol, an upside down triangle , a gray backdrop. The following was an equilateral triangle reading sixth grade, meaning I was eleven-years-old. Or perhaps ten. I have forgotten my own birthday if I even knew it before this morning . It also seemed that I was one of those “special-cased” kids, amusingly enough. Wow, does “special-cased” sound like I’m ridiculous.

_ Wow, look at me! I wear cool customized clothes and- Well, that’s it. _

_ I wish I was one hundred and twenty-three years old.  _ It did not come true, not like I hoped it would.

I snatched what seemed to be my jacket. Which was thin with a pale blue I got three days ago on Christmas from Ghost or my only sibling.  Or maybe I have two siblings, I can’t, strangely enough, seem to remember. Oh well. 

_ You have a sibling?  _ I shrugged to the voice in my head as I  put the clothes on and flicked the switch for the fan. By reflex, I knocked on a door next to mine.  _ Do you? _

I responded with another shrug, “If I did, then you would probably know. If I actually do, then, well. I guess that would be that. I just wouldn’t remember them.” I hope there weren’t any cameras in my room and the hall because this would be awkward, me, talking to myself and Ghost in my room. I think it was against the rules to bring the opposite gender into the rooms too.

My head went back to the door.

_ I think her name is  _ _ Abby. _

I could have just looked at the sign. Y’know, the sign in front of the door. The one that literally tells me the person’s name. Her’s actually says Addison. Look at mine, it says- Nothing? 

_ Don’t question it. You were weird. _

So you did know me.

_ Nope! Y _ _ ou’re close friends with her,  _ _ or at least, close enough for her to annoy you multiple times _ _.  _ _ So make sure to act like how you would used to- Wait, actually, don’t. You can’t remember. Nevermind. And even if you did remember, you probably couldn’t.  _ _ Oh well. _

I shifted uncomfortably as sounds of footsteps reach the door. __

Oh well? Oh well, what? What do you mean? And what do you mean by close enough for her to annoy me?

Before the voice responded, if it even planned to, t he door jerked open, a girl who I could only helplessly assume to be Addison  stared at me with confusion, joy, and something else I couldn’t quite figure out. She had caramel skin and even bolder colors of brown hair, puffy as it  much as it  looked fluffy, with a  thick  line of hot pink glowing  through i t . She wore a  neon  pink jacket that seemed very trendy, or she was just overestimating how  fat  she was. I hoped she had no eating disorder that made her think she was bigger than she actually wa s as my eyes trailed to her  tired  hazel eyes.

“Oh, hi,” Addison grumbled as she waved to me, or to get me the way.

“Hello,” I waved back, keeping my blank face on,” Do you want to head to the cafeteria with me. I fear that the shadows may rise again and take over this school.” Addison yawned, chuckling slightly as she responded.

“They already have. They are called teachers. Anyways, yeah. Let me change so the shadows don’t lower my grade even more.” I nodded in agreement as she closed the door.

I played with my fingers until the door opened again.

Addison was now wearing bright red lipstick and her hair in a low scrunchie bun. Her pink jacket was unzipped, revealing a loosely tucked-in collar shirt with a bright pink skirt, which was probably allowed because she was in art. She had two badges, one saying eighth grade. She wore a total of 12 bracelets and awfully white shoes.

_ How annoying. White shoes. _ I agreed with the voice.

We hurried to the cafeteria, to be more accurate, I was following Addison.

_ 165 children. _ I thought in peace as I waited in line in front of Addison.

“Here ya go, Honey.” The lunch lady smiled at me as she gave me a tray of gluten-free pancakes, peaches and a small container full of four pills. I nodded in acknowledgment, moving over to a small table in the corner next to one other person.

Addison eagerly stuffed an over-sugared cinnamon into her mouth as soon as we sat down, finishing her first one in twelve seconds, savoring it in her mouth. I pouted as I swallowed all of my pills without water in one gulp, luckily not choking. I tasted blood coming from my tongue.

“A-ah! Are you a-alright..?” The boy next to us asked in worry, probably from knowing us or kindness. He looked like he had more to say. 

_ It’s fine. _

“It’s fine,” I automatically replied, as if somebody has hypnotized me to redirect the wording and take out the pronoun while keeping a blank face on. If anyone could do that, it would be Ghost. I doubt he would be able to, though. ”Thanks for worrying, though. What’s your name?” He paused.

_ I couldn’t care less about his name, but it’s harmless it helps your memory back, _ “...C-Conner. Conner Tissono. W-we know e-each other...” I picked at my peaches, swimming in white grape juice. I ate one, then all.  _ Mmmm… Blood and peaches taste horrible together. _

I looked over at the boy, who looked older than me. I noticed he had three badges like me and a specialized uniform. One of them read eighth grade, which explained that. He had black hair like mine evenly undercut bowl cut which reminded me of an idol boy, with healthy white skin.  _ Unlike Ghost.  _ He had black, thin gloves that did not help my memory at all. His face told me he was confused, even if it did not show that much.

“Ah, yes we do. I was just making sure if you were a shadow.” I explained, ” You have passed. Good job.” I held out a small part of my pancake out, crumbling a bit before it reached my mouth. After tasting it, I instantly put my fork down. I suddenly did not feel hungry anymore.

“Oh? That’s what you were talking about earlier. So you meant those weird dark things that followed people.” Addison said, just figuring that out.

I nodded. It was a big thing in the universe of art. Since while ONLY shadows following people has disappeared. Shadowing in objects and highlights are still there, strangely enough. It was also a big thing in Science if I can trust my memory for that to be right.

“S-Shadows are s-scary…” Conner muttered. Even when doing that, he could not say a sentence without stuttering. I nodded.

As the three (two, me and Addison talked for the most part) of us continued talking with Addison filling her mouth with a bite of cinnamon rolls every few seconds, a young boy, near seven-years-old, that looked familiar to me sat next to Addison. He wore a long black sweater with a hoodie covering his head and a red scarf with a few darker stripes, sticky notes unevenly stuck around his sweater. I noticed he did not have breakfast.

_ Thirty-six sticky notes. Fifteen blue. Twenty-one bright pink,  _ the voice unnecessarily specified. I sarcastically thanked it, putting my focus back to Conner.

“Y-you’re… T-the Ultimate A-Artist, right?” Conner curiously asked me. Even if his voice has always seemed to be full of worry and fear for the past minutes, his eyes determined everything I needed. I probably learned this from being able to tell when Ghost’s constant lying.

I glanced at the third badge on my collar shirt. It indeed said that.

“I am? That would explain- Do I write too??” I asked, tilting my head out of reflex. I remembered I did not change the blank look in my eyes. Addison answered that one for Conner, who seemed stuck.

_ So Addison is closer to you. _

“Yeah, you totally do! You would’ve gotten the label of Ultimate Writer if it weren’t for that one annoying girl… Fiona was her name? I can’t remember.” Addison raised her voice in an ‘ Oh! That’s right,’ tone. It did not seem like praise, which I did not care about.

“What a coincidence, I can’t remember either,” I admitted as well.

“T-That reminds me… H-have you g-gotten that weird red i-invitation, too..?” Conner stuttered, ending his sentence in a question mark. I tilted my head again. He continued, ”S-since you’re an U-Ultimate?”

“I probably haven’t,” I responded, “ Where would I get it?” Addison snorted in response.

“The mailbox with your dorm number on it. Can you seriously not remember?” Addison asked. I shook my head, ”Room 43.”

_ No memories. Nothing coming back yet. _

“Kay’,” I responded, focusing on her hand grabbing one of Conner’s cinnamon rolls. He uncomfortably rubbed his arm in response. “What a strange word… K...” My mind went far away, thinking about how strange the English language was.

“Ah, I-I’m done now… T-thank you for the c-c-conversation. G-good bye…”Conner awkwardly thanked us as he sat up. I nodded in response.

“Bye, Conner!” Addison yelled, attracting almost all the attention of the other students. I did not care too much. Conner ran like a ninja, averting any attention on him. Addie deterred to me, staring a bit too hard.

“It’s not like you to forget where your mailbox is, are you alright?” Addie asked me.

“No. I need to find Ghost. Something is definitely wrong today, I just can’t figure out what..?”I answered.

Addie smiled, “You always say that and this ‘Ghost’ person. I’m starting to suspect you’ve got memory loss.” I could tell she was joking.

Her tone was still light my words were a joke. ”I remember you telling me that you were going to die soon, what’s up with that?”

_ Future. Present. Past. A time sequence that expresses a point in time influenced by if it has happened or will happen. Memory is one of the things that can change perspective on the view of this. And die? You usually never tell jokes if it isn’t Ghost that started it… so you knew something that I don’t know now. A dash of fate will help me. _

After finishing our meal, heading back to the dorms, I noticed my body was freezing. Probably from the wintertime and thin jacket I was wearing is what I would say if I was actually shivering. I concluded the shadows were watching me. Rise and take over the world? I only said “may”.

I looked over at mailbox 43. It required a password. 

_ Your birthday perhaps? No, that would be too easy if I actually knew it. Ghost’s birthday? I don’t think he celebrates it or I would’ve known it. 123?.. Hey, that sounds like a good and simple temporary name. _

I nodded to myself as a red-eyed boy waved at me. “Hi there.”

I waved back, my eyes lighting up with happiness as my heartbeat slowly grew.  _ Ghost! _ I glanced at Addison, who froze like a scared cat.

“Hey, come here,” Addison whispered, I did not get a chance to respond as she pulled me around the corner. I saw Ghost raise an eyebrow.

“Can you find the letter in my mailbox. That red one!” I shouted while Ghost smiled warily at me, I took that as a silent yes. Addison groaned at me after we start hearing numbers being pressed. Then rapidly looked left to right, as if telling someone a secret. I found it admirable that she was so expressive, but it did not benefit my memory.

“THAT’S Ghost?” She asked in a quiet, forced voice. It had a subtle fear in it, which I decided to ignore for now. I nodded slowly in response, hesitant to hear how she knew him. Addison sighed loudly, which Ghost could presumably hear. I hoped he did not care though, that would make me feel better.

“What did you do?! I’ve heard of him. He…” She lowered her voice as if Ghost was listening, ”He’s tortured people before and controls one-third of the mafia. He’s evil.” she put her pink-nailed hands on my shoulders. I frowned at her. Ghost definitely was not that type of person.

The voice in my head hissed,  _ he’s always listening.  _ I ignored that comment.

“Addison. Those are just rumors. Ghost is only the I-made-your-room-messy evil type of guy.” I scolded her, “You can’t always trust others.” Addison pouted. It seemed she could not help but agree with me, though. I softly smiled at her reaction.

“Oh yeah,” I said, remembering something, “I might die soon.” The thought has been in the back of my head for a while. Addison flinched at my out of place remark.

“I swear if this Ghost guy is forcing you to-” Addison started, I decide not to let her finish.

I pushed her hands off my shoulders. ”No. I have concluded that because of my actions, I’ll die.” I ended my words in a flat voice. Addison furrowed her brows.

“Stop joking. It’s not funny.” Addison told me, thinking I was telling a too far-gone joke. I felt slightly miffed at her response, but I just shrugged it off. I did not care about her opinion anyway, Ghost wuld.

_ Ghost is harmless.  _ The voice in my head whispered. A shiver went down my spine as it continued fighting with itself. “...Alright. It’s fine.” I eased her. 

I did not want to smile at her, so I kept my blank face on. She smiled at me and instantly knew it was fake. Speaking right there felt wrong.

I do not care.

I leaned back into my unusually soft pillow that was meant for my cute but annoying nine-year-old little sister, Nino Boe. I quickly breathed in a gulp of room temperature air, with a whiff of my secret stash of my medication pills for sleeping. The doctor ended up not helping at all.

I rubbed my dreary eyes, falling onto the lap of the best person ever while smelling bubblegum around her. 

“So…” The girl wearing the black witch’s hat and brown bangs going up in a fox-like way, dropping behind her ears she rubbed my hair. This amazing person was a witch, or at least she has told me. She is a twelve-year-old that we called Lilith. Vargodnoc Lilith. Sometimes I’m allowed to call her by her nickname, which is the exact name of the mature android girl. Lily-chan. Of course, I am always breaking down in front of her when that happens.

“Yeah?~” I asked, saying it in a sugar-coated voice. Lilith ignored that.

_ Oh well. _

“The letter is so…”

“Yeah?”

“It’s so...” Lilith sighed, taking off her large hat. 

““Yeah?”, or else in my words, What are you worrying about, Lilith?” Asked a different girl than me. I glanced at the ten-years-old. She had a doll-like face with a mix of blue and purple eyes, the exact same hair as her eyes. Neptune was her nickname. Kanaan Neptune for my Japan self.

_ Geez~ I feel so special. Stop kidding yourself, you depressing piece of trash.  _ I giggled to myself, then took another quick breath of air, filled with the scent of Lilith’s bubblegum smell. It calmed me down.

The boy next to her quietly stayed put, keeping his eyes on Planet girl. He had short golden hair neatly stuck to his head, matching eyes. Like always, he wore a thin, long black jacket with the collar pointing towards his cheeks with a yellow Chinese dragon on the back. Ku, simple. His name I mean! He was eleven-years-old.

“ It’s so… Ghost will definitely find thou interesting.” Lilith finished. A shiver went up my spine as I imagined him, the dude that has those annoyingly piercing red eyes.

_ You have no room to talk, you disgusting psychopath.  _ I wish I could stop thinking to myself and focus on these people’s conversations, but of course, I can’t.

_ Yeah~ you hate me SO much that you tried to kill yourself! Who are you kidding? You need me.  _ I was not wrong, but why do I have to think this way?

“Ugh! A shiver went down mah poor old little spine.” I groaned as I scrunched up my face.

“You’re the youngest one in this room.” An eleven-year-old boy with black hair and a nice cinnamon skin color observed, Finn, ”Were you sarcastic?” He had an almost unnoticeable Mexican accent.

_ No, I wasn’t. A chill went down my spine because I was contemplating on what time of day I should die. I was thinking to trap myself in a completely white room with nothing in it and starve to death as I try to strangle myself so I can’t see the beauty of the world.  _ To sum it up, I was not being sarcastic.

“I think not, sir! Unless you’re talking about how I was thinking of living till the end of this year~.” I giggled while Finn sighed to himself, or to me.

“Lilith, I deeply apologize, but do you mind warning Ghost to be careful with Her this time. He has been being too reckless.” Neptune asked with no question marks. Lilith shook her head.

I curiously peeked at Lilith, still laying my head on her lap.

“Level 999999999999 Demon Vampire who has the nickname of a supernatural creature that kills people for revenge? I think he’s fiiiiine…” Ku grumbled. A refreshing voice since he does not talk much.

“How curious. Thou boy already knows,” Lilith explained. She has not talked to him today but already knows strangely enough. Spooky stuff!

“Who’s this Ghost guy?” Finn murmured, definitely curious.

“Even Ku-Kun can’t defeat that loser? Wow!~” I gasped dramatically. Lilith flicked my forehead, it did not hurt, probably on purpose. ”Ow!” Lilith meanly chuckled to herself.

_ See? She doesn’t care about you.  _ I knew Lilith knew I was joking, but I still let it bother me.

“Who’s Ghost?” Finn asked again, louder and clearer. It sounded less curious.

“Oh, him? Thou is just a creepy vampire that when you look in thou eyes, they shall glow.” Lilith said casually.

“And they’re aka!” I yelled in a cheerful voice.

Lilith corrected my Japanese. ”RED, thou means.” I nodded but pouted when she was not looking.

Finn spoke again. ”And… And who is her?”

Ku chuckled. “Capital H. Capital E. Capital R. Capital T.”

Finn tilted his head. “I didn’t say T though… Neptune, Ku is making me confused again!” Ku and Finn started bickering, all I could hear was  _ blah blah blah, I don’t know whoever Her is!  _ And _ It’s She, learn grammar! _

“Be mugwumps, children! Thou is a good person. If only... “ Lilith tried to explain, then sighed. I knew she was not the best at explanations.

“There was an incident, Lilith-chan?!” I jerked my head up, almost banging my goggles into her eyes. She pushed me off of her in reflex.

“...What?” Neptune worried like the mother character she was, “what trouble did she get into this time?”

Ku and Finn stopped arguing and looked at us.

“I’m still perplexed,” Finn stated. Tilting his head, he furrowed his brows.

“...” Ku stayed silent, but I knew he was as worried as the rest of us.

Lilith sighed.

“Thou was a reason why… Only me, Malachi, and Ghost know about what happened to her… And we promised for it to stay that way.” Lilith apologized to us, only building up my stress.

I could smell the sleeping medicine while I wondered who Malachi was.


	3. Lilith Vargonoc

In front of us stood a large wooden mansion, decorated with exquisite detail and no windows, and a long old pathway leading up to it. Exactly like any horror movie where idiotic children try their luck to hide from something, it was also how I felt. It was freezing more than it was supposed to while the wind blew, to where I could see my breath as slowly breathed out if the fog was thin enough. The smell of mother nature flowed in the air and I felt many pairs of eyes watching me. Not the most ideal situation for a party, as the letter has said.

I had what I hoped was my backpack filled with supplies I might feel familiar with in case I felt bored and gained no memories back. Nothing yet _. Just wait. _

I blankly stared at the building, “Hey Ghost?”

_ Haha. A ghost, Ghost. Should’ve picked Vampire as his name. _

He warily looked around, as if searching for something.

“Ghost,” I called out again. He turned his head towards my direction, any worry disappeared as he smiled towards his direction. I could not tell whether it was real or not, due to the fog. I continued, “This place is really creepy, are you sure you read it right? Do you want to give the letter to me?”  _ He won’t. _

Ghost flinched or approached me. I again could not see clearly. Then he looked at the building, at least four stories tall.

“No. We ARE DEFINITELY in the right place.” Ghost said at an uneven pace, which fit the sentence. A shiver went up my spine as a cold breath of air went out.

“Oh… okay. Let’s go in then.” I nodded as Ghost went to the large doors with finely-detailed patterns in the wood.

_ Very good craftsmanship.  _ The voice in my head thought some very strange things sometimes, but I had to agree with its strange opinion. Ghost opened the large doors slowly, to reveal a large room with eight other people. I skeptically walked in as the warmth of the house pressed against my shivering body while my nose filled with flower smells.

Rows of velvety red roses in delicate white vases were around the walls of the entrance room. The entrance room went up at least three floors up with one balcony from the second floor and a glass ceiling at the top, the stars staring at all of us. The walls were a deep red with many picture frames of random people that I want to say looked familiar, but I think I breathed in too much of that weird fog to be able to tell. There was a big clock on the wall.

I felt light-headed as I glanced at all of the other children.

_ Don’t talk much and take big breaths of air. _

The first one I spotted was approaching us with a friendly aura.  A twelve-year-old had chestnut-brown hair curled up at the end when it reached the middle of her back, part of her head is covered by a witch’s hat. She had a small maroon sweater above a collared shirt tucked in by a long, black skirt. Her eyes were olive green and her skin had a slight orange tint,  _ peachy _ . Witch girl.

She was an Ultimate like me... like everybody else in the room, too.

_ A party of Ultimates in the middle of the woods in a secret mansion Ghost knows… You might actually die. If you do, can I eat all those alcohol-based markers inside your backpack?  _ I noted down how it just indirectly told me it has a body. It has also directly told me that it wants to eat my Ohuhu markers, too. I nodded in reply, wondering how they would even taste.

“Hi there, Lilith.” Ghost waved, he did not smile as she told him to let go of my hand because I was better than him. Another girl with blonde hair in two small braids up to her shoulders threw something at Ghost, which he easily evaded.

“Knife time for Ghost-Kun!” She excitingly yelled.

_ Knife time.  _ To my dismay, it was a kitchen knife that was piercing the wooden door that has now shut.  The turned back to the blonde girl who looked slightly Japanese. She had hazel eyes, which looked more pink or salmon than anything else with a matching maniac grin to her personality. She had a thick pair of goggles and a light blue to a spring green windbreaker, slightly too big for her ten-year-old self.

_ Then again, ten-year-olds usually don’t try to kill red-eye boys to prove something. But hey! Windbreakers are definitely are more important, winning by six more points.  _ Actually, it is seven points, weird voice. _ Right, right!  _ It was fun to just focus on the voice, but I need to look around more.

“Can you not throw knives around? That’s dangerous.” I explained, Ghost looked at me with relief, “Instead, bullets through guns are less messy and get the job done quicker.”

Ghost looked at me sadly with a quivering mouth as he smiled. “How about it if I don’t die yet?” I nodded my head, looking at the others with a bored look.

One girl the age as me had long, thick (most likely dyed) purple hair with matching eyes, and as if magically, two black circle outlines floating around her head like a planet. She wore a very flowy purple dress beneath a white-collared shirt, on top of that was a baggy black jacket. She was very pretty. Planet girl.

_ Maybe as pretty as Ghost? Nah. They have their own version of beauty, more than I could ever have.  _ I almost snorted out loud at that but held it in.  My eyes wandered to the eleven-year-old boy next to her, talking to her with excited golden eyes. He had yellow hair, not blonde which was as unusual as everyone else in this room. He wore a long-sleeved collared shirt with a maroon tie hanging loosely around his neck and black pants. The boy had a long black jacket wrapped around his waist, a yellow Chinese dragon in a blue and red circle on it that looked custom made. Golden boy.

I heard the girl ask him how she looked in a very polite tone, and he responds with, “With your eyes.” With the most solemn face I have ever seen.

A seven-year-old girl was playing with a masked boy that looked Ghost’s height. Or in other words, trying to take his paper bag mask off by threatening him.

She resembled… what was her name?

_ Knife-throwing psychopath.  _ Right. She resembled the knife-throwing psychopath with the same eyes and nose but had an unusual salmon-colored hair. She wore a pale pink kimono with an eccentric flower on her white obi, long white socks, and black sandals. A red devil mask was strung around her head.

_ Very traditional. And small. How about calling her salmon girl? _

The boy who the traditional girl was threatening was wearing a paper bag mask and an olive/mahogany cloak. He had a white long-sleeved shirt underneath a matching olive vest, with white pants and laced leather shoes… Red flag? Not much if he was an Ultimate. I will call him the masked boy for now.

Next to the two She was a thirteen-year-old that had a large portion of female growth. She had hazel hair in two space buns with more hair down to her shoulder, a blue gem on a silver necklace around her neck. Her hand seemed inhuman, made out of some type of metal and three colorful buttons on her wrist.

_ Stop being so robophobic! Or… stop staring at her body.  _ I assured the voice I was not. _ Of course, sicko. _

Then there was a familiar seven-year-old in the room. Too many sticky-notes.

_ Thirty-six sticky-notes. Fifteen blue. Twenty-one pink. Oh, yeah. You know him. He looks like your bedroom wall, too. Maybe you knew each other, which could explain why he sat next to you and has been following us for the past couple of times.  _ I stared blankly at the boy. It would make sense for him to follow me if he knew me, which I can only hope that is right. 

“ _ Oh? Now I recognize you. You are a-”  _ Before the strange voice could finish its words after taking control of me, it left. Then the sticky-note boy ran. Then Ghost left me feeling too familiar for me to change my expression. I tightened my grip on my backpack.

“Ah,” I mumbled, dropping my hand that I held out to grab Ghost with. “Ghost!” I got no reply. I stared blankly at the West hall that seemed endless.

“That’s… Careful there. You should worry about him and he later after the host comes, which they probably will do.” Witch girl tried to assure every now and then stabbing in strange talking. She whispered into my ear, “Ghost knows what thou is doing. Rest assured.” I blankly stared at her.  _ Trust her for now, pretend to at least.  _ The voice annoyingly knew me too well, more than I know myself it seems. I’ll have to… not forget that.

“Ten people are here. The host must be lonely! They own a ridiculously huge mansion and can’t even show up on time. I’ll make sure never to come back to this loser’s place.” the salmon seven-year-old berated loudly. “This must be all of-”

Before she could finish her sentence, the doors abruptly opened for two other people.

One was Conner, with his undercut bowl hair, his thin black gloves, and worried mixed with anxious facial expression. He was now wearing a large light red letterman jacket.

The other person had chocolate skin with dark brown hair, with a silver necklace around his neck. He was around eleven with a cautious look in his eyes.

“It’s just you guys.” He sighed in relief.

“Guy? I thought I was a girl my entire life! Thanks, Finn-Kun.” The knife-throwing psychopath said, her eyes wide with no sarcasm.

“Thou… You’re still a girl.” witch girl clarified. As they went on, I decided to turn my focus to Conner, who was still standing in front of the door, looking scared.

I waved,” hey Conner.” He smiled meekly at me and waved back, approaching me. He stumbled once before getting to me. ”

_ Conner Tissono. Shy and stutters. Noted to be clumsy but very fast. Appears to be hiding something. Try to be careful around him for now until Ghost shows up again.  _ I agreed with the voice.

“H-hi.”

“So… Did you find any shadows on your way?” I asked. I could see a shiver go up his spine. “Did you see me and Ghost enter on your way here?” Conner flinched, jerking back.

“G-G-Ghost?! There’s a ghost? Where?!” Conner freaked out, gathering the attention of everybody. 

_ I’ll... mark that down. In case… you try to tell him about Ghost again. Scared of Supernatural, marked! _

The knife-throwing psychopath started laughing, and so did her sister, which seemed awfully offensive but nobody paid any attention to. 

“Um… anyway, where’s the host?” Finn asked. Nobody answered, which he did not seem to mind so much.

“Capital H.” The golden-eyed boy said into Finn’s ear, loud enough for us to hear. They started arguing about something that I hope is not about whether the H should be capital or not.

_ They are.  _ I diverted my attention away from them.

The knife-throwing psychopath stopped laughing, saying, ”They are late to their own party, so we don’t know yet. But I'll make sure to throw a knife their direction cuz’ of that!” I decided not to question that.

“An overdramatic loser. Wonder how they got this mansion?” the salmon seven-year-old asked, “Did it say who that loser is?”

“No. That’s still a mystery.” Robot girl said, “We should wait a bit more until the host or others come…”

As if on cue, large sounds came from behind the large wooden doors. We backed away out of reaction, then three people came bursting in.

One fell, tumbling towards my direction.

_ Help him. _ “Are you alright?” I asked, holding out my hand.

He was my age, with a military cut and thick, brown eyebrows. The boy had red marks underneath his kind brown eyes. I think the name Military boy will fit him.

“Oh. Thank you. But… you probably should not touch me in the wintertime.” He smiled politely a she got up himself. I put my hand away, wondering what he meant. I read one of his badges, saying ‘Ultimate Lucky Student’.

_ Ah. That… Bad luck in the winter, good luck in the summer. Ah yes. This is Jonothan, the only student in that category. A unique person indeed.  _ You know him?  _ Maybe? I don’t know myself. _

Ignoring the voice go on and on about theorizing, I paid attention to whoever Jonothan was.

He turned around to face an older girl by the door, “Why did you throw me?!” He screamed at her, which slightly surprised me. I still persisted on a blank face.

The older girl that appeared to be in high school, our high school. She had slanted, closed eyes and three strange marks drawn on her forehead that reminded me of a cat. Her brown hair was in a ponytail and had a school summer outfit on. She replied in an excited voice, “Because I was testing the gravitational force in this room by using you for a reaction towards the ground. Also because it looked fun to throw you.” She was waving her hands wildly in the air for some reason.

I glanced at the guy her age next to her, nodding his head as if agreeing with her, then looked at me with a strange look. He wore a winter version of the school uniform, which was more fitting. He resembled Jonothan.

“Are thou even supposed to be here? You’re in high school.”Lilith said.

The older girl remained silent, then said, ”No, but the more is more alive!” I tilted my head at that but decided not to question it. Instead, I thought, “I want to find Ghost.” All of them looked at me with something I feel like I have seen before. Pity?

_ You said that out loud. _

“And the host, which is definitely a girl. Since fifteen people are here, eight boys and seven girls. Our school looked like it was more populated with females during winter break, and they had to know where we are staying. And I have no reason to go outside of school, so they would have to know me. And it appears we’re all Ultimates… “ I explained, ”So, let’s find Ghost.”

They shrugged, following me as I went deeper into the deep West hall. The hall seemed endlessly to the others. To me, I counted at least seventeen doors with unequal, long spacing through the halls.

“Come out, come out wherever you are, Ghost-Kun!~” The knife-throwing psychopath yelled through the halls, which made me feel a shiver up my spine. The way she said it sounded so… scary.

_ Yeah. she’s killed before and knows how to freak people out. Better get used to it. _

There were three living rooms. Four restrooms, two females and two males. Two shower rooms with four showers in them. A room with a large circle that went deeper than the night sky seemed to go, Finn almost fell in but luckily The golden-eyed boy caught him. Another room was full of blooming plants, pots, and seeds. There was a laundry room and then a locked room. Then an empty room that had a red rug and a strange shrine with nothing on it, which freaked Conner out. The next room was a room full of cleaning supplies, smelling like a strange minty detergent. Another room was a room full of computers, which the golden-eyed boy remarked, ”Old tech.” 

_ Oh. _ The voice in my head tiredly said. What is it this time?  _ There’s... _

“The last room. He ought to be here.” The witch girl told me. I nodded in reply.

“Why are we trying to find this one guy and not, like… That four-year-old boy or the host? I mean, I know he’s really important but...” Finn asked.

I corrected him, ”Seven-years-old.” He ignored me like how I could oddly remember most people did too.

“Thou reason? Well, because… we have to listen to the most important person here. Not like you would know, Finn.” The witch girl explained. I tilted my head to myself and wondered if she meant me.

_ Ignore it.  _ The voice in my head demanded. I did as it told me and disregarded the voice, still musing about whether she meant me. I decided that it was really me. I’m… important? That sucks.

“Yeah! Best you don’t question us like that, Sir-Kun.” The knife-throwing psychopath grinned while saying such a strange thing. Oh well.  _ Listen to me. Just… find ‘Ghost’, or whatever name he’s going by. _

While everybody else but me and Conner continued to talk to each other, I gently opened the doors as though they were organs.

Inside, the floor looked like a white and black chess board while the walls shone a bright pearl white. Two gold chandeliers with very tranquil patterns hung on the ceiling that went higher than the other rooms. There was a long fancy table was in the middle, surrounded by sixteen chairs that remind me of the social pyramid in the early 1800’s. Of course, peasants were thought to be undeserving in it so they were not exactly… crappy chairs. It smelled like roses.

I spotted the sticky-note boy who was sitting in the king’s chair, which fit him surprisingly. Then I realized who was sitting at the other side in the other king’s seat.  _ GHOST _ . I wanted to yell out his name, but could not. It felt like there was a force field in my mouth that would not let me speak.

_ Don’t speak. Just… listen. This is why I wanted you to ignore them talking and I could explain it later to you. _

The voice in my head sighed. I thanked the marker eater and quietly told Conner to stay silent too. He seemed to already know the whole ordeal.

“So..?” Ghost smirked, one that made me fear if the Ghost I knew and loved was the same person as him. He had his legs crossed and was watching someone with great intent.

“I’m giving you the deal of a lifetime, idiot!” A girl shouted, ”I have important information on what we’ll do. Go out with me and we can avoid this situation completely or-” I was done listening. I am sure that whatever the voice wanted me to hear has not been said yet but I could not care.

I jumped at Ghost, hugging him tightly … _ Oh well. _

He visibly flinched, widening his eyes. As if instantly, he stopped crossing his legs and the frightening smile he had on. I liked that reaction. He cares about me and would not neglect me like… what? Ghost hugged me back, staring at my face as if I was a red diamond.

Before I could proceed with my thoughts, Conner stuttered.

“A-ah! I k-know you’re c-close, b-b-but...” I stared blankly at Conner. “O-oh...yep.” He nervously laughed.

I decided to continue whatever I was doing that made him answer the way I wanted him to, “Conner, you know so can you… Go eat frog toes or something.” I paused, realizing something. ”Unless you want to join our hugging group, which I will only allow people I enjoy.”

“D-do you e-enjoy me? W-w-wait… Nope, that’s weird, I’m not goi- !” His tone changed and he seemed more confident. Hey voice, did you forget to say he was acting this whole time? Not like I did not realize it. 

_ Yep, yep! That’s why. _

Looking around, Conner glanced again then blinked. His eyes were back to normal and lips quivering. I did not know if that was a good thing or not but I seemed to be the only person that noticed that, well, except for the sticky-note boy.  “G-g-going to g-go do t-that.”

“Hi… Did you search for me?” Ghost asked. I nodded. He chuckled, then looked at me like he already knew and was testing more things.

“Are you guys more people here?” The girl said. I vacantly stared at her.

She had red hair in two ponytails and pale brown eyes that glared at us. When I did not change my facial expression, she scoffed. I giggled at her while I examined more. The girl had light freckles, had a bag on her shoulders and was wearing our regular school uniform, but had three badges like the rest of us. _Oh. Do you think that if she dies, I can eat all the notebooks in her weird purse?_ Sure, Voice. _And her corpse?_

Before I could answer that, the doors opened again, voices filled the room, strangely not echoing. All the others must have realized Conner and I was gone. Oh well.

“Hey..! This is where thou were, and who is she?” The witch girl asked. 

Ghost smiled at the witch girl, I could visibly see her flinch. “It’s rude to interrupt conversations.” The witch girl sighed in relief, a strange response to Ghost’s comment, but oh well.

I asked the voice in my head if this was everyone, which it replies,  _ no, she will be the last one to show up.  _ I decided not to ask what it meant, because I could easily narrow it down. 

The last person to show up… That meant there would be a total of seventeen people here, one of them lying about not being the host or being this red-haired girl or this  _ Everyone _ the voice is talking about. I can only hope that nobody is lying.

“So… Who are you? Are you the host, or whoever told us to come here?” Finn interrogated. I would be surprised if all that questioning had nothing to do with his Ultimate… Eh, I don’t really care.

“Eh?” The red-haired girl said in confusion, “No, I was just talking with this guy.” Her tone sounded offended as though you just called her a boy when she is clearly a girl.

“Yeah, yeah, nobody cares.” I heard Ghost mutter underneath his breath, rolling his eyes. If anybody else heard that, they ignored it. 

“Soooo!liability That has to be everyone.~” The knife-throwing psychopath told all seventeen of us. I stared at everybody else, wondering what they were thinking.

Everybody sat down on the chairs after a few conversations, discussing with one another. For the most part, we all seem to know each other. We all gave our names despite that fact.

I already knew Ghost, my best friend, and Conner, an older stuttering mess that seems to be an act.

The witch girl who seemed to always be next to me and the knife-throwing psychopath told us her name was Lili Vargodnoc, who had a longer nickname of Lilith. The knife-throwing psychopath’s name was Yume Nino, and her sister, the seven-year-old salmon girl’s name was Boe Nino. The half android girl’s name was Lily, like the flower. Then there was Sakurashi, the paper bag masked boy. The boy my age with the yellow dragon on his back was Kundershonkulmint or Ku… for short, his name was certainly an original. The pretty girl that seemed close to Ku was Neptune, which was 100% a nickname. Finn, the indigenous boy that I already knew the name of from the others. There was Fiona Eranheart, the girl just a few moments ago confessed to Ghost, which was a very awkward situation. Then there were those three strange people, two high schoolers and a middle schooler, which nicknames were Cryboy (From the female high schooler), Thing (The female high schooler), then there was CATguy (Also from the female high schooler). Then there was Noone, the sticky-note boy who I’ve keep on seeing and was strangely with Ghost being confessed to. Then, there was me…

I spoke, “My name? I forgot.”

“Can you say that again?” Finn asked, as if not understanding a thing I have said.

I maintained my blank face, repeating my words, ”I. Forgot. My. Name.”

“That’s not possible. Liar! Liar!” Boe went, “She’s a dirty liar!”

“No, she isn’t!” Her older sister, Yume yelled, throwing a knife she pulled out her pocket at Boe. I guess the knife-throwing psychopath even did that to her sister.

Neptune sighed, “If you would do so kindly to stop your nonsense.” Ghost chuckled at them.

“My best friend is just kidding. Right?” Ghost lied, looking over at me with an over-familiar kind smile.

“Yeah, you should’ve seen the look on your faces. Of course, I know my name.” I told them, keeping a vacant look on my face. “Call me 123 this time, one-two-three. So you remember this joke.” None of them laughed, which was to be suspected.

_ HAHAHA HAHAHA!  _ The voice in my head exaggerated. I decided to ask what my name was.  _ I don’t want to tell you. _

Lilith smiled at me, “123. That’s a new name.” she muttered as if she knew me.

“Yeah, it might even stick this time.” Ghost responded to her.  _ This time... you must’ve changed your name a lot to get that reaction out of these people. I wonder, how many times could this have happened…  _

“It seems that every one of us is one of those leader things, Ultimates, are they called?” Ghost says. I look around, knowing he is right. “Should we tell each other, in case something happens.”

“Oh? You mean for liability?” Sakurashi asks.

Boe shouts, “Nobody wants to listen to you!”

“I personally do not think we should but be free to do as you may.” Neptune politely smiles.

Ku shakes his head, “No.” 

“I agree with Ku for once, even if I really want to hear all of yours… no, I’m good.” Finn sighs as if he was letting go of a huge deal because he did not have enough currency.

“Thou should hold a majority vote,” Lilith tells us.

The vote ends up being four to twelve. Ghost tells Ku, Neptune, Finn, and Conner that they do not need to participate in it. Ku and Neptune still joined us in the end.

“I am the Ultimate Fashion designer,” Neptune tells us, “And Ku is the Ultimate Gamer.” I would’ve raised my suspicion of why they did not want to tell us that but figured out that maybe they were trying to hide someone else’s.  _ Stop being clever, it makes Ghost seem stupid. _

“Well, that’s cool to hear even if I already know. Your turn, Ghost man!” Thing says, saying it like he is obligated to do that.

“Oh. I… am not an Ultimate if I remember correctly.” Ghost says, smiling. “Just kidding. I am an Ultimate, but like always, I’m not going to tell.” I watch some roll their eyes.

“Gee, so dramatic. Anyways, Ultimate chemist at thou service.” Lilith says, doing a small bow.  _ And that’s DEFINITELY not dramatic, Miss witch. _

“Oh! It’s my turn! I’m Ultimate Inventor-chan. Surprised, right?” Yume cheers in a cutesy voice with her slight Japanese accent. I felt a shiver go up my spine when I felt a pair of eyes on me from behind. When I looked behind me in the chair, there was nothing.

“No, I’m not,” I responded to Yume, “And I think I’m the… What did you say I was, Conner?”

Conner flinched, “Ah. Ultimate A-Artist?” I nodded, not caring whether he was right or not.

“How do you not know..?” Finn mutters underneath his breath.

Ghost smirked at him, “Says the guy that doesn’t want to tell us his Ultimate.”

“Right back at you, supernatural girl.” Finn scowled, “Fine. I’m the Ultimate Detective, alright? Geez!” I cannot help but feel something off, like the eyes that were watching me were burning into my soul. I look behind me again.

Ghost smiles in approval for something.

“Can you repeat that, Finn?” I ask. Finn rolls his eyes as if I had been listening to him and was just trying to annoy him, must be because Ghost was the one that started it. Or because I may just seem like that type of person to him.

“He said He’s the Ultimate Detective,” Saku said, as though he could not tell whether that was a lie or not. I could not either, like I usually do, because Saku’s face was covered. He was probably telling the truth, but it makes no sense to not reveal his Ultimate in this situation.  _ It actually makes sense not to reveal his Ultimate in this situation, 1234.  _

“Can we go to the next person? Anyone? Conner?” Finn says, avoiding any continuation of questioning. That is even more curious.

“A-ah… But I-I really… Don’t w-want to...” Conner stuttered in his small voice. His head down to the ground with a pained look on his face. For Conner, I already knew he has been trying to hide both his personality and Ultimate, with the slight help of the voice in my head. Finn responded with something like, ‘I did. Ghost forced me.’

_ You make it sound as if you can remember your own thoughts, which isn’t possible.  _ But because I can remember you, you are not just in my head. 

After that the voice stopped talking for now, or… whatever it does in order for me to hear it.

“Don’t force Conner to,“ I argued, “If you actually paid any attention to him at school, you would know, like me.” I did not know what his Ultimate was, but I probably did in the past. And if I knew, Ghost knows. And since Conner does not want to tell us and pretends his personality, maybe it is dangerous?

Well, now my head hurts.

“Yeah, Mr. Detective.” Ghost purrs, definitely to get on his nerves.

“Let’s just… continue, Finn. You don’t have to push it.” Lilith softly told him, like she was a teacher asking a five-year-old for his candy. It was easy, even though taking candy from a baby is hard. Yume seemed to be watching with much amusement at what was happening, as she has not pulled out a knife yet. Or maybe that was how she showed her amusement, I hope it is none of those.

“Cryboy time. Oh, I remember when you used to cry so much 267 years ago.” Thing says in a sing-song voice.

I nod my head. “That makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t!” Cryboy cries, furrowing his brows. He coughs, clearing his throat, “I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student, although that isn’t really a skill.”

“How did they give you the ultimate lucky student title?” Finn asks, curiosity in his voice. I heard Ku whisper, “Capital U, capital L, capital S.” I turn my head away after hearing loud screams.

“Be Mugwumps and shut up,” Lilith shouts, “Go listen to poor Cryboy.” I do not know what a Mugwump is but it seems the rest knew. From context clues, it seems to mean to stop fighting.

“Yeah, listen to the crying boi-chan,” Yume says, more in a mocking voice than a helping one.

“Stop- Call me by my name! And to answer your question, they just selected a name in a pile of rocks, and it was the summer when school began, so...” I assumed that he was referring to that weird thing the voice said. Thank you voice in my head.

_ No problem voice not in my head. Just call me Lemon buttcheeks.  _ No. Just- what even does that… No.

“You can skip us since high schoolers are supposed to keep it a secret!” Thing says in her usual happy voice, “All I can tell you is that we are Ultimates.” Catguy nodded to support that.

“But it only says you can’t at school. You can tell out of school for friends or family.” I explain while that suddenly comes to my mind. I think that was from the voice in my head, even if it did not say anything.

“Nah, if you can figure it out, we’ll tell you.” Thing shrugs. I nodded my head, knowing that I probably knew before.

“My turn, idiots! I’m the Ultimate Assassin.” Boe shouts, louder than Finn shouting and hurting my ears. I could visibly see Conner flinch in fear at that, or maybe due to shock.

“No, she’s lying,” I mumble under my breath. Nobody but the people near me: Ghost, Conner, and Lilith heard me. Yume seemed too busy yelling how Boe was not the Ultimate Assassin or is not as keen as I thought.

_ She’s both. _

“Please do not frighten us like that, Boe. We do not have an Ultimate Assassin at our school, as outrageous as our school is.” Neptune told her. Boe pouted, mumbling profanities underneath her breath, some of them I have never heard before. I wonder how a seven-year-old knows more curse words than I do.  _ I hope that’s a rhetorical question because you really don’t want to know. _

“She’s the Ultimate Florist, which is just the Ultimate Arranger,” Yume told us, flipping a knife in her hand. I was not comfortable with the fact she could kill any of us with one hand messing up.

“So like… Arranging flowers.” Finn asked with a crooked smile on his face. I could tell he was pretty shocked. “Right, right.”

“Left, left.” Ghost hums, making fun of Finn.

“Up, up!~” Yume continues with a cat-like smile on her face.  _ Your turn, orange buttcheeks.  _ Do not call me that.

“Down, down,” I said, proceeding the strange thing.

“Center, center if I believe to be the next,” Neptune tells us.

Lilith groans, “Stop it, children.” I notice she says children like how you say mild and then add ren. It reminded me of how an old, kind grandma would say after giving them ice cream.

“Hey Lilith, do you have any ice cream?” I ask, she gives me a strange look then laughs.

“I’m fine with not continuing this.” Ghost said, smiling as Lilith pulled a small hydro flask out of her bag, tilting her witch hat as she did so. She slammed it onto the table with proudness.

“I formulated a new type. For some reason, thy people have kept asking me to make thou cold food, so lately, I've been studying food. I have learned great information while doing so to help me develop freezing liquid to be put around cucumbers.” Lilith said in a proud voice.

“Cucumbers?” I wonder out loud as I took a bite. It was Vanilla, which was my favorite.

_ Lilith Vargodnoc. The Ultimate Chemist that enjoys experimenting. She uses cucumbers a lot and tends to do what other people ask of her. She usually asks for payment of the strangest of items and says thou, thy and mugwump a lot. You will get along with her well. _

After a couple of minutes of talking and roaming the rooms in the West hallway, we decided that the Host was not going to show up.

“That was some good ice cream,” I said, looking blankly at the empty bottle.

We were in the entrance room, where people were fretting on the blank wall I looked behind me, but there was nothing there. This mansion gave me the chills because it always felt like there was something was watching me, the voice in my head always told me to ignore it though, which meant I was not just imagining it.

“T-that is not t-the problem right n-now…” Conner tells me. I look around to find Ghost right behind me, smiling with his innocent looks.

“Whoever said it was a problem, I was complimenting Lilith,” I say back. She is too busy staring at the blank space. That was the problem. The blank wall was supposed to have a double door, taller than any of us hear. As I breathed in the air, a powerful scent of roses filled my nose.

I was starting to get sick of this strong smell.

“What do we do?!” Finn panics, looking around at the others with a perplexed look on his face.

“Well, the Host has yet to arrive and the door is gone so! Do any of you have a phone?” Thing asks, still in her happy voice. She was either very good at acting, or cannot feel emotions. None of those suited her, even though this version of me has only known her for a little while.

I check my backpack, which only had an umbrella, a mini-dictionary, two books that I have never seen before, a ball of blue yarn, my Ohuhu markers, a black sketchbook, a red notebook, a water bottle pocket full of sharp pencils, pens, an eraser, and a sharpener. I am surprised that I could fit so much stuff in my backpack.

I shook my head, not that anybody was paying attention to me.

“I do.” Ghost says. He pulls out an expensive-looking phone, “But it’s on 1% because of… Y’know, business.” He shrugs.

Thing nods, seemingly understanding what ‘business’ means.

_ Sounds dangerous!  _

“Of course, Ghost,” I say in a passive-aggressive way, “Totally because your ‘business’, not talking to girls behind my back.” He frowns but seems amused by my somewhat jealous reply while keeping a calm face. He leaned his head closer to me, making me smell a familiar smell that comforted me. He was freezing.

“Haha… Are you backhandedly saying you want to know what that business is? It seems like it. But I can’t tell you.” Ghost said, with an innocent smile on his face.

“Okay, stop talking to her, Ghost,” Lilith scowls, which reminds me of how a mother would scold their baby after having enough of them. He chuckled after holding tighter on to me. I felt someone tightly wrap their arms

Fiona rolls her eyes, “Conner, go hug her instead.” Conner hesitantly did so, only placing his hand on my shoulder.

“No, just let Thing finish her idea.” I sighed, pushing Yume, Ghost, and Conner’s hand off me.

Thing jumps at me, speaking as I try to escape her strangely strong gasp. “Ku, Fiona, Finn, and Lily, can you try to call the police or one of your contacts?” She asks while CATguy pulls her off of me. I almost fall down, but Ghost caught me.

For a while, that is what we did. Until there was no reception.

“How about you, Ghost? You probably can since you’re a-” Lilith says, but cannot finish.

“Vampire, right? It doesn’t.” Ghost interrupts.  _ Ah. What a bold truth turned into a lie. _

“What? Wait… I can sense someone coming.” Saku said as Boe tried to pull his mask off. I do not know how he could sense someone coming with that mask and the fact people cannot sense other people unless they have a sharp nose.

On the top of the stairs, there was a dark material like a type of gas. It was filling up the entire view on the stairs, almost seemed to freeze and darken the air around us.

There was a person who had one black eye, or perhaps brown and an orange one. They were wearing a denim jumpsuit and a purple shirt. They seemed to almost have a glowing aura, which I decided was just in my head.

“Ah. Hello Everyone.” Ghost waved, the tips of lips turning into a smile that seemed happy.

_ Fun. This will be so fun.  _ The voice in my head sarcastically groaned,  _ Hey, you might even change your expression. _

123 squinted to the figure on the stairs as if she could not see it. She was so cute.

I look back to the figure on the stairs. It was a fourteen-year-old female with heterochromia and an inadequate aura that reminded me of a cat. I knew exactly who she was after calling some connections and tracing back to before I knew 123.

Right, do not let her know anything and let the voice help her. It is pretty unfortunate, or maybe I am lying.

“Ah. Hello Everyone.”I waved, feeling a small smile creep onto my pale face. I need to get rid of the habit of smiling so much, it freaks my subordinates out, not like those four will notice me right now when their attention is on the strange girl. I couldn’t care less about them though.

The girl on the stairs flinched, definitely not suspecting me to know her.

“You… know her.” 123 quietly whispers, as if unsure whether she is right or not. Of course, 123 is right.

“Do I know ya, kid?” The girl on the stairs said, or should I say... Everyone?

I wanted to say “Yes, you’re Everyone. A girl who views everybody as a child and has a weak power level. I know more but that is for you to find out, and how I know.” But instead, I said with a frown,

“Yes, but I suspect you cannot remember. We used to be lovers...but I guess you forgot,” I said, looking down. I could see 123 visibly flinch. I covered my mouth. “Ah…” Tears flowed out my eyes as if pained by the fact that she did not know me.

Everybody around me looked very perplexed. Oh well.

“That’s true!?” Fiona, the girl I could care less about asked, “So that’s why…” She lowered her head.

“Wait, he’s lying! I don’t know this kid.” Everyone protested, sounding panicked. I looked up, wiping my tears away with a meek smile.

“If that’s true, then don’t ask if you know me,” I said, tilting my head from boredom. This was getting us nowhere, “Alright, Host?”

Everyone flinched again, probably even more confused. Then she perceived it. “Ah, right!”

“You’re the Host? So he’s not misleading us?” Finn asked, throwing questions like always. He did not know me, but I have done my research on him. I did not like him, or maybe I am lying to myself again.

“Yeah!” Everyone smirked as if winning a prize, ”Name’s Everyone-”

“I stalked her.” I abruptly said, totally not lying. I hope I am not lying, or else that is problematic.

“You what?! But I made sure to-” She is saying too much information. She will confuse them, she will confuse 123. That is bad.

“I know why you invited us for a fun game.” I bluntly revealed, knowing that would ease them. Well, until they learned what I mean by game.

“A fun game?” 123 asked, then she gasped, “Is it a murder game? I love those! I think.” She was frighteningly right, again. That was another cute thing about her. I thought about the death of 123’s friends, it was a familiar thought. It made me smile.

“Ding, ding, ding!. That's right, kiddo.” Everyone agreed as if she did not plan the game beforehand. I imagined her trying to come up with an idea for a party, then say, ’Screw it, just have em murder each other.’

“Nothing new, but no thanks, Everyone-san,” Yume says, flipping her knife, “Kill you..? That’s possible.”

“What? Can we, like, not play?” Finn asked, uncomfortably backing up.

“Nope!” Everyone says, walking slowly down the stairs like a model, “Not until you figure a way out, kill me, or when there are only two people left.” she glanced down at us with a smile. Her aura disappeared as she herself dispersed.

“Ah?! This has to be a joke…” Fiona mumbled.

I shrugged, not really sure what she wanted. Women were so hard to understand.

“It most certainly is not, I apologize for that inconvenience,” Neptune replied back, even though it was a rhetorical question. That was just the type of person she was, a polite bundle of space.

I glanced at 123, who was calm as ever. I could not detect her heartbeat like always and had her vacant stare as though she was talking to the voice in her head again. She was always quiet at the big moments unless she thinks she should talk.

“It’s not like any of us will kill each other. We all know killing is wrong, right?” Thing says, almost breaking out of her usual happy facade. I almost felt bad for my feeble second subordinate. 

“K-killing is b-bad…” Conner mumbles. That was such an ironic statement.

“I wish I did!~” Yume smiled, putting her arms behind her head, “Ghost-chan doesn't.” I smiled at her and she got the message. Yume spouting words out her mouth and shut up.

“How rude of you to say I have killed someone before,” I said, sounding perfectly offended.

“Stop talking like that, it’s freaking me out!” Finn shouts.

I peeked at 123 again, to find that she has left. When I look around, I find she was talking to Noone.

“Ah. I guess she was listening too closely to the voice. So inconsistent.” I thought out loud as I made my way to Noone.

Well, these were people I did not mind being friends with.

  
Noone seems safe.  _ Watch out for him. _ Why should I listen to the voice?  _ Don’t. _


	4. Lily Coleman

After a few hours of searching for an escape (with no luck), we decided to go into five groups in case any of us do want to kill each other.

We had a hard time accepting that we are actually in a death game, but we really have no idea what to do. Each group will get five rooms. And after a long fight with Yume’s group, I was put into Ghost’s group, which Lilith told me was immoral.    
My group was three people, with me, Ghost, and Noone. We got one living room as red as everything else in the house, an upstairs garden with a dragon blood tree, a small bedroom with a bunk bed, a small empty room, and a large library with many strange books. Lilith decided I would be safer in this group, probably because I have shown interest in Noone and would be protected by Ghost.

Yume’s group was made up of her, her sister Boe, and Lilith. They got a large dining room that we all planned to use as a room in case something happens, one long bedroom and a square one, a living room, and a creepy room full of chemicals Lilith asserted that her group must-have. She was indeed the Ultimate Chemist because I heard her tell her group that she was still on edge and felt safer there for the night.

The 3rd group was made up of Conner, Ku, and Finn. They got two bedrooms, two living rooms, and a gaming room. Since Ku was the Ultimate gamer, we felt it would be best to let his group handle it. Conner felt more comfortable with my group for some reason though. I just think my group is pretty mysterious, but then again we all seem to have black hair.

Then there was Thing’s group, which she has named ‘Magic Girls’, like something from a shoujo manga. Her group is in control of a living room, three bedrooms, and a room full of clothes, eerie mannequins, sewing machines, with other things. I realized those four do not get along as well as normal friends, which surprised me.

Finally, there was CATguy’s group, which was occupied by CATguy, Cryboy, and Sakurashi, which I have learned to call Saku. They have three bedrooms with lots of plants, an empty room, and a library filled with files of mysterious deaths, a desk that personally had Saku’s name on it, a grandfather's clock, and an empty corkboard.

We decided to go to sleep after we checked the big clock.

As we hurried up the stairs and parted, I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I ignored it as I looked behind me, where I found something I did not want to see.

There was another one of those shadowy substances that I have kept on seeing, with one eye full of red, dripping with blood. It had a large smile, whether if that was what it actually was. It made me shiver when I felt a cold hand on me.

It was just Ghost.  _ Calm down, 123.  _ The voice that has appeared in my head reassured me in its raspy voice,  _ It’s all in your head.  _ That was not going to calm me down because of the fact that it was in my head made me stress what I was doing before my memory loss.

“Calm down.” Ghost said with his smooth voice. I released a breath of air that I did not realize I was holding.

“Is she alright?” asked a new voice, who I assumed was Noone.

I snapped back to focus to find a pale boy with red eyes, pale skin, and pitch-black hair holding my hand. He wore a white-collar shirt and black pants that matched the rest of him. Then there was a seven-year-old boy covered in his sweater and multiple sticky notes over his body that was staring at me with locks of black hair spilling out of his hoodie.

It was Ghost and Noone, my group.

“Ah. Should we go to the bedroom?” I asked, staring blankly at them while ignoring my unfocused eyes.

Ghost paused, unsure of what to do. Then smiled at me in worry, “Yeah. How about it, Noone?” He turned his head to the small boy. Noone nodded his head in silence, showing no sign of distress.

We headed through the garden to the first room by our left. It was a white room divided into two parts. One part was like a small tea party, with a golden-framed table surrounded by four wooden chairs and thin golden-framed bookshelves filled with four books. The other part had a bunk bed with a white and pink rose pattern that luckily did not smell like it and a small white wardrobe in four sections. I noticed how there was a repeating number of four in this room. I throw my backpack on top of the wardrobe.

_ Well, to be more exact, two and four are the most recurring numbers. _

“Well… night.” I said as Noone settled his head on the top bunk. I nod back while Ghost and I settle on the bottom bunk. I whisper night to Ghost as he shut the lights off. He was cold.

123 yawned, hugging me tighter in the darkness. How I could see her? I am a vampire if think I am not lying.

She almost seemed… scared? I wonder if she even knew she was. I smiled with affection for this girl, wondering how fun this game will be. Or maybe I am lying to myself? Who knows. Shutting my eyes, I wondered if I should just pretend to be asleep. I cannot fall asleep anyways.

A young voice, who was probably Noone, spoke in a petite hum.

“She can still see them. LIke back when she and I were old friends”

I sigh, in a burdened type of way. “Yeah. Yeah, she can.”

I looked at 123, who was colder now, almost freezing in an unusual way. It must have been that stupid voice.

He did not continue our conversation, which I was not happy about. So I maintained it for him.

“Hey. I have an idea. Let’s call it… Project PTC. After the last story.” After a long period of silence, I giggled.

“Sure.” I glanced back at 123, who was safely in my arms. I hoped that I could protect her like this forever. Or maybe I am lying? I cannot tell anymore.

Oh well.

Groaning, I turned to my side.

I felt something cold pressed against my ear. In fact, everything was freezing.

“Ah,” I said, instantly opening my eyes. Rubbing them, I looked around to find myself in a small, white room with a messy desk, several files, and a few books on a wooden bookshelf. There was something sitting on the chair behind the desk.

I was on the floor, which felt neither soft, hard or like anything at all. I felt like I was floating.

“You’re up?” Asked a whispery, almost rough mal voice. It reminded me of someone or something else that I could not remember. I had a small headache from thinking about my missing memory, or maybe I was just deceiving myself and could not actually have any lost memories.

I shrug, “I don’t know. Am I?” I stood up, trying my best not to fall down in the frigid temperature.

The voice, if not person, stood up and helped me as it responded with, “Breath. Calm down.”

I did as it told me until my headache went away. I looked up, still feeling a bit dizzy, to see the man’s face.

The man himself was taller than me, two times Ghost’s height. He wore a suit, with a blue vest on top of his white-collar shirt. A darker blue tie around his neck. He had black hair that looked slightly brown. His face was covered by a full mask that was black with symmetrical white marks around his eyes. He seemed unaffected by

“Hello.” The man says calmly and slowly, like just learning how to speak.

“Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here? Wasn’t I asleep?” I ask, question after question. 

The masked man paused, which seemed like a smile but because of the mask, I could not see it. “To answer all of your questions. I am just a random Tam that found interest in you.” I stared blankly at him, not getting a thing he just said. He seemed to be speaking English, but just to make sure…

“A spot of tea, you say?” I said in my best British accent. The masked man looked at me confused. Good.

“Ah. You must not know what a Tam means, you are young… It means a shadow. You see them, correct?” The masked man asked, hand on my shoulder.

“I’m not sure. Can you explain it?” I answered, following the masked man as he took me to the desk which I assumed was his. He opened a file on his messy desk full of other files and grabbed out two black and white pictures.

He leaned closer to me as I grabbed the cold pictures from him, sending a shiver up my spine.

I glanced at each picture, unsure of what to suspect. I knew they were going to be people or something like that, but that was all I expected. The first picture was of somewhat of a dark matter, not exactly solid, liquid, or a gas. The two things differentiating it from the darkness was the way it was thicker than air and it’s piercing red eye staring directly at me as if trying to eat my soul.

“Don’t stare at them for too long. They’re dangerous, even in pictures.” The masked man told me, snatching the 1st one from me. It made me wonder why he told me he was these Tam things are dangerous when he is one himself. I looked at the 2nd one, careful not to look at it for too long.

This one had a person covered in black scribbles, showing their backs. I looked away before the masked man told me so.

“Yeah, I know these. They are the shadows that will take over the world.” I said, keeping my blank face.

The masked man laughed, softly rubbing my head.

“They are called Tams. And I am one.” I nodded, showing that I was following along, “ And they are dangerous.” There. He was indirectly calling himself dangerous. I had two options. A or B. A is to point out the fact he was calling himself dangerous, and either get killed or a similar situation. The second option, B was to not say anything at all.

I choose option C. “How dangerous?” I asked, giving him the second photo. Option C was to be cautious, the smarter option really.

He thought for a while. “Hmmm… It depends. Tams tend to differentiate in power. Weaker ones like the first picture you saw are pretty weak, could take away your arm and ear or so,” That is weak? “More stronger ones, the ones that have eaten witches or went under strong witch’s protections have a physical shape or can shapeshift, so… They can only make you freeze to death.”

The room got colder. Then I realized that this man, or Tam, was watching me because he found me interesting.

This Tam has a physical form, which meant he was strong, and that meant he has killed… witches?

“What do you mean witches and witch's protections?” I asked, tentatively staring at the mask on this man’s face.

“Oh? How curious… Just kidding. I knew you wouldn’t get it.” The masked man says, “Witches are beings that use magic, like in any fairy tale. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. And the other question… Well, it boosts the Tam’s power.”

“But-” Before I could say anymore, I felt a cold pain of air come into my mouth.

I abruptly sat up, gasping for air.

I looked around to see where I was, in the room where I last fell asleep in. With the small fragrance of roses, lightheadedness, the refreshing feeling of waking up after a long day, almost banging my head on the bed on top of me, and on top of that being in a killing game with my friends I forgot, I knew today was going to be an interesting day.

I felt something cold next to me, which was Ghost, all relaxed and even smiling a bit even in his sleep. I could only lifelessly stare back.

I put aside his good-looking face and took in anything new in the room. On the wardrobe with my backpack were two pairs of clothes, one for a female and the other for a male. Noone wasn’t in bed, too.

I picked up what I assumed were mine, trying my best to quietly walk out the room.

Once I got out of the room, I was welcomed into a bright place filled with flowers and trees. I wondered if what happened yesterday was true, or if anything was true. I could not trust my memories since strange things were happening and it seemed my mind was acting strange.

By strange, I mean that ever since I have woken up, I have had a hard time thinking and the voice seems to have disappeared, or maybe it never existed in the first place. I do not care anyway-

_ Hello. Sorry, I was going to look away when you changed. _ Ah.

Approaching the empty room, I knocked. No answer.

I entered it, hoping that nobody was changing in here. There was a boy, seven-years-old and if my memory serves me correct, his nickname was Noone. He was in a different outfit, still with a sweater, but was not covering his face. 

The empty room was full of sticky notes all over the floor and the boy.

_ One hundred and forty-five sticky notes to be more accurate. _

The boy loosely turned around with a large grin full of mischief on his face as if discovering something from making a mess, ghostly pale blue eyes with the tint of all the sticky notes gathered around him. When I saw his face, I almost stopped breathing. Not because it was disfigured or anything, but because of how I just realized the frigid air, with the abnormal smell combination of roses and... iron? He swiftly stood up, shocking me.

“Hey, 123!” He said, keeping the wide grin on his face, approaching me with both arms behind his back. It was either a good thing or an extremely bad thing that I trusted him. “Woooow..!” That did not answer my question on whether I should trust him or not. He was just a small boy too.

“Uh, hi,” I mumbled, awkwardly shifting back. “What’s ‘wow’?”

He fluently turned around with his eyes closed, standing straight as he told me, “I never knew that Ghost would get that close to you.” I paused. Noone made it sound as if he knew me before I knew Ghost, before I lost my memories, before I lost it all. It would be best for me not to point it out though, but it would be awkward to ignore him.

“...Yeah. I guess we did.” I decided to respond with.

I tilted my head as he sat back down, legs crossed and started scribbling on a pink sticky note with a pen in his hand. 

“Well, bye. Tell me if you need anything from the downstairs.” I stiffly said, ready to leave.

“Wait. Can you stay here for a few more minutes?” The small boy asked me, not paying too much attention to me even when asking that. I decided to do so since I was not in a rush to change. Plus, I might even learn if I do know this boy and if he is harmful. 

“Sure. Do you want to talk about something?” I asked, approaching as cold air touched my skin. I glanced at what he was writing on his sticky notes. It only made my curiosity grow, when I could not read what the letters were. They seemed to be in another language, a bit like how I have noticed Yume seemed to speak Japanese. Except this boy did not look like any foreign person like Yume.

“...So, if you don’t want to talk, why did you stop me-” I tried to ask, but was intervened by Noone, who seemed busy writing more symbols.

“You know, I just realized that something is wrong with your memories.” He tells me, “You should act better.”

I look at him, suddenly feeling colder.

“How… do you know?” I asked him. He looked at me with his pale eyes full of excitement and mischief like before, and I quickly understood why he had that glint. It was because he knew, and he wanted to tell me that or something related to that. The fact that he told me that while knowing meant he figured that out at some point but chose not to tell me.

Maybe he was suspicious of me too? But that would not make sense if he forgot me.

“Well… First of all, we haven’t seen each other for a long time yet you didn’t speak to me, which seemed off even though you kept sneaking glances at me and talked to me. Second of all, Ghost spoke to me.” Noone explained, staring deeply into my eyes innocently. Then shrugged.

“He told me not to tell you.” The ghost-eyed boy said with a faraway gaze to the blank wall facing us. I could only assume he meant Ghost. Which made me wonder why. Too many questions.

Abruptly, Noone stood up, dashing to the door before saying, “Well, bye for now! And don’t die!” Then left, leaving me dizzy with curiosity, which I particularly did not like.

How does he know me? Does he know why he was invited here? How did he get so many sticky notes?    
What was the strange language he was writing in? Why does Ghost not want me to know what they were talking about, furthermore, know I would ask Noone? Wait… Everyone and Noone’s strange nicknames match each other. Do I know her as well? I could go on and on about my thoughts but decided to stop once the room got even colder.

Ever since I entered this mansion, there have been so many mysteries.

“I’m freezing. Again.” I muttered under my breath and went to look down at the mess he made. Feeling nice, I picked up all the sticky notes and put them into an untidy pile with inconsistency. I noted how only one of them were written in English.

“The masked girl, black hair fades. Monster chained. It is you that killed- what is that? Is it in that other language? I bet it is…” I said repeating the words until coming to the strange scrabble.

I could easily conclude that the girl he was talking about was me since I was the only girl here with black here unless Conner or Ghost were girls, which could make me laugh. Masked? As in masks… that could be symbolism for something or for the keeping of identity, as that is what they are meant for. Masks tend to symbolize hiding something or liars in psychology I strangely knew, but I was neither hiding something or deceiving anyone. Could it be choice number two? No.

After not being able to think of anything else, I moved to the next part. Kill… That reminds me of this game. But this is probably from before I forgot my memories.

I looked at the back while deep in thought, only to find three words. “It’s not fine.”

Coming up with nothing, I sighed and stuffed both that and the blue pen in my jacket pocket, sleepily making my way to the bathroom. I did not know how long I spent there, but it felt like I was in that cold room for an eternity. Locking the door, I changed into the clothes.

After I was done, I turned back around to look at the mirror. Which made me regret my decision.

The girl was staring back with no pupils. She felt familiar but I could not exactly put my finger on it like it was on the tip of my tongue. It was a white shirt like my other one, with four buttons and deep red shorts, long black socks up to the middle of her thighs. She had a baggy jacket with dark red sleeves. So much red…

It was starting to give me a headache.

As I left the room, I breathed in a deep breath of air, wondering why that girl was there instead of my reflection. It made me think about that abnormal dream I had, with the paranormal talk with that masked man. Ha did not give me his name, now that I think of it…

I felt less tense as my head shifted to Ghost, standing a few feet away from me.

He was smiling like always, which this time seemed pleased. He was wearing his usual funeral outfit with a red tie. He was lucky he did not have to wear an enormous amount of red like me. I noted how he was carrying one of the few books on the bookshelf in the bedroom. It was the pale blue one, half ripped on the bind.

“Hi there.” He waved, keeping his smile on his face and walking towards me.

“Hey Ghost, you seem happy,” I replied back, wondering when he got there, or how long he has been awake. I really wanted to keep whatever those strange things that kept obscuring a secret.

He silently nods, as if thinking deeply on something, then turned to look away.

I realized that there was a small creaking sound coming from one of the doors around us. I was probably too focused on my thinking and Ghost to notice it.

We stood in silence, unsure of which door it could be before a door busted open, revealing Saku. He had his paper bag mask on still, which I found was unnecessary, but seemed to be wearing a different type of cloak on his shoulders. He came out of the strange room full of clothes and sewing machines- The room Thing's group claimed. He looked like he was in a rush, and was trying to escape, even if I could not see his face.

"Ah. Hi there, Saku." Ghost says, waving his hand.

He ignores any sign of us being there and rushes into the room his group owns, saying his name on it. Saku does not seem to be a rude person, due to my observations on how he treats everybody else and appears to be able to deal with Boe, so I do not think of that as a big deal.

It looked like he was running from something, but what? That was answered by Neptune, wildly looking around as soon as she walked out of that same room Saku was running from.

"Oh. Why, good morning, 123 and… Ghost, if that applies to you. Please pardon my rudeness, but do you have you witnessed Sakurashi today?" Neptune asks almost too politely, brushing her hair out of her face while doing so.

"No. Did something happen to him?" Ghost lies bluntly, taking his smile off his face. I stared at him, a bit confused about why he did so. I ended up with the answer that he just wanted to lie. After all, these people were his friends. You are not supposed to hide things from friends.

Neptune pauses, as if unsure whether to tell us or not. I am sure she would tell us if we told her we did see him. "Don't worry. Ghost was just lying, we have seen him," I tell her, hoping that will higher our chances of her telling us.

"Well, I know I can trust you, 123. Saku's cape disappeared when he woke up and he was searching for it, when he could not find it, the boy asked for my help. He gave up after the fourth remake of it." Neptune sighed, looking slightly glum as she told us the story.

I nodded. "Well, I think he went to hide in his room." 

"Pardon?" She asks me, sounding confused. I make a hand motion for her to follow me and lead her to the room, still standing by the doorway as she and Ghost make their way in to watch it.

Eventually, Saku is found hiding underneath the desk. He was slightly taller than Ghost, so I did not think he could fit back there. He gets pulled out there by Ghost before Neptune actually finds him.

I silently leave the scene as Saku finds his missing cloak on the jacket holder. He must have slept in this room. That told me that he did not trust the other two guys in his group too much.

As I went back to check the empty room, now fitting its name, my mind wandered to think about that masked man. Was that really a dream? Maybe it is just me, but I was too cold in that dream, every second getting worse.

I shivered at the thought of it, tugging on my new jacket sleeves. I felt more comfortable in my thin one, this being too unfamiliar, like everything else in this mansion.

A whispery old voice echoed in the room, as if real. I knew it was not though.

_ Did you miss me?  _ No.  _ So anyway, what was that about a masked man? _

I hesitated to tell the voice _,_ but it would have to know at one point. I told it about my dream, skipping some details like the Tams or the frigid temperatures. 

_ What an interesting dream… Well, make sure that you make use of it. In fact, why don't you go talk to Lily? She might help you figure something out.  _ I nod along, glancing around the room once more. It was empty.

Sometimes, I like to think about life. 

Not mine, but the people around me that look so successful, so diligent all the time. Sometimes, I wish to be them. I guess that over time, that thought became real, and I started to act like the people around me. I do not stand out much, but I never managed to fit in.

Then I became an orphan, and then I became a certain scientist's 'real' daughter. 

I cannot remember for certain what happened, but the people around me believe that I committed suicide, so I believed it too. When it happened again, I lost a part of my left leg and left hand. My 'real' dad gave me fake body parts, is temporary. Then I became an orphan again.

Sometimes, people would adopt me, only for me to become an orphan again. I guess that at one point, I lost my right at the orphanage. That happens in life.

Somebody had brought me to their house one day, and I met two twins. Saku and his sister. His sister was awfully sick with an uncharted disease and was blind while Saku was all the while healthy.

Those two were the exact opposite of each other. Saku's sister had pitch-black hair with cat-like eyes, or so I have heard when her eyes were not being covered by bandages. She was always straightforward and liked to be close to people, while Saku had nobody.

Their parents got me in order to help Saku's sister, to show one disabled kid to another I guess, while they did not even mention to me her twin brother, who sat in the corner his whole life and did anything to give his sister amusement and encouragement.

Sometimes, I wonder how we three would have turned out if those useless parents of theirs did not mention the academy. Saku and I made it in only because we had skills, something to show from being left alone on our own and not having a place to belong to, I guess.

Life is funny to us if I think about it. But eventually, I met my friends. Around that time, something weird started to happen and when it ended, one gem appeared around my neck, hanging onto a necklace. And then I started to have strange, almost delusional thoughts as if someone was always watching me and making sure I did the wrong thing.

123, the name she goes by now, called them Tams.

Funnily enough, the next day when Ghost was around, she showed no sign or knowledge on what we talked about. She does that sometimes. I think she was just joking when she told me that, but she has a strange luck of always being right.

"Lily?" A feminine voice calls.

I glance over to find 123, just who I was thinking about. I examined what she was wearing, the clothes the wicked host gave us, then smiled at her. "Yeah? Sorry, I was spacing out."

She stared at me blankly, which always scared me, then nodded. "Why were you in this room?"

I looked around to see what she was talking about. I was in a room full of white beds and a distinct smell of medicine, the one that reminded me of the room I spent so long in, the room for Saku's sister. There was a black shadow among the air, drifting into something but it was probably just another thing.

"Oh. Maybe because it was the most familiar room to me… I'm not too sure myself." I told her. 123 shrugged, backing away from me and sitting down on the edge of the bed. We talked a bit about what we thought of this killing game until 123 hit me with a blunt question.

" _ Hey. Has your Tam been annoying you?"  _ 123 asked me, missing any hint of there being a past subject we were talking about. I thought for a second, hoping that she was only joking.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Sometimes I say the strangest things." 123 tells me, then heads back into the subject of what we were on before.

When she leaves to go eat a late breakfast, she tells me, or rather the person in her head from before tells me, " _ Don't listen to it." _

Ah. But it is already too late though, 123, or the supposed voice in her head.

Sometimes, I like to finish what I started… What? Why did I just think that?

Wait. Then she’s right again then.

Heh.

_ You should have asked her about her leg and wrist, or how much milk she drinks- Oh. It just told me that you should not trust Lily. _

What? Who is it? Why?

_ It is a Tams, or like you'll get it. You see, you can not trust anyone here, except for Ghost I mean. _

Really now. Well, that just means I cannot trust you then.

Staring at the wall that burned with a fiery red, I wondered if the voice in my head was real, not like it mattered much. I mean, I could die soon, if what the voice telling me to be true anyway.  _ It is, but you might not die _ . Was it scary that if I trusted these people Ghost was friends with it would be my downfall? A bit, but I did not trust them in the end, which scared me a bit even more.

"Hey, 123." Finn waved, walking into the library. I nodded my head in acknowledgment before losing my train of thought. After a few seconds of slight confusion, I decided to observe my surroundings for a while.  _ Where are you? _

I was in the library designated to my group, which apparently did not stop people from coming inside.

The room was painted with coats of red paint, most of it being covered by the bookshelves against the walls, filled with strange books like, "How to pluck one's eyes from their sockets" or "Why you should never use bugs to put in a mouth", which did not interest me too much. In the middle of all the bookshelves was a dark table with sharp edges on top of a dark blue carpet which reminded me of the deep sea. The room was around the size of my dorm room times four in a square, and then the height of it being two times the usual.

I was sitting on one of the seats in this room after finding that this was a very warm room, most likely due to the fact the fire for the fireplace was on, but I could be wrong.

"Did you decide to come here because it's like, ninety-one degrees?" Finn said, sparking up a conversation with himself as he took off his jacket. It seems colder than that, though.

_ The temperature? Don't mind such a meek thing.  _

"You look like you'd enjoy that type of temperature," Finn said, sitting down in a relaxed position before continuing his talking. "I heard of you from the others, say they can trust you."

I glance at him as he continues, "That you're somehow… always right, that you never tell a lie," Finn says. I must have been a real angel then, is what I would like to say if he wasn't off-handily complimenting me.

"That sounds quite exaggerated," I say as I watch Finn stare at me, it does not look too welcoming, which I did not mind. He seems to be a bit too cautious for a natural talk with friends, even though we are in this killing game.

_ But because he is so cautious of his friends in a killing game, that just makes him suspicious. Don't trust him.  _ Stop saying I cannot trust this and that. You are basically saying everybody in this mansion is suspicious.  _ You can trust Ghost though. And me. _

"Exaggerated it is then, as said from the girl herself. So I have some… friendly questions for you, and you too." Finn says, pointing to me and something behind me. 

It was Ghost in all of his lying glory, which took me by surprise. Though I would be lying if I was not used to it. He does that a lot, showing up behind me I mean.

Ghost smiled, leaning in towards me and placing a cold hand on my shoulder, which seemed warmer in this room. Maybe the heat was getting to me, but I swore that there was something behind Ghost.

_ Ignore it. _

"Sure, I can promise you I'll answer your definitely friendly interrogation, but I cannot promise that they will be true." Ghost replies, sounding sarcastic when he said friendly. He sat down by the chair next to me.

"...123 will answer as well. Let's begin," Finn hesitated, as if unsure of what question he should ask.  _ I personally think he should start with, "Have you ever eaten dog before?" Because I would get yes every time.  _ Huh.

"Okay. Are you in on this so-called killing game that trapped us here?" Finn starts off with. I know that most of these questions will be about me before yesterday, but this pounding feeling in my ribcage makes it seem more exciting than it is.

"No," Ghost tells him, "for both of us. Though you probably already knew that." Finn nods as if he were his own lying detector before heading on to the next question. I nod too before glancing around the room in a bored look.  _ What a boring question. _

"Do you know the host?" Finn asks, resting his head closer like any detective. I thought for a second before answering, to build his curiosity up. Then disappointed him, so he would not like my answers. Oe what I like to imagine as Ghost replied to Finn for me.

“Yeah. She and I have done business before.” Ghost says, leaning closer like what Finn did. Finn rolled his eyes as if Ghost was lying. I knew he was the second he said that because, after all, Everyone, the Host acted like he did not know him before and even pointed out that he did not receive a letter like all the rest of us (Except for Thing and CATguy).

“For me, I don’t remember talking to her, or somebody like her,” I said, sticking with the truth.  _ You’re pretty good at evading questions… But! You cannot do that with a detective since they know that too well. Luckily, he will not know that too well.  _ Why are you telling me this? It’s… Oh.

“In exchange for this information, can we ask you too?” I tried to bargain for, which really was not my strong point. ”Sorry. It’s just that… this has been really unfair to us too. A killing game?”  _ Even though you know you got that right,  _ “To think that if I trust my friends too much here, that could be my downfall. Other the while, if I don’t trust them… That guilt that I didn’t will eat me a lot. As you said, I like warmer places than colder ones, and I like having a good bond with my friends more than being alone.” I ended it in a shaky breath.  _ Well, you aren’t wrong. But isn’t that manipulation? How funny. _

Finn’s eyes softened, releasing tension in his shoulders, with a softer breathing pattern. I looked down before glancing at Ghost, who was, if I looked close enough, was frowning. Which then turned into a bright smile, another lie. Why does he force himself so much?

“Yeah. I get it. The things taking a toll on all of us… Is that why you weren’t searching for an exit like the rest of us?” Finn asked. He was still asking questions, but the air between us seemed less stiff.

“Searching?” I asked, slightly tilting my head. Nobody told me that we were supposed to do that. Nor did anybody tell me we were going to do so together.  _ Noone told me either. _

“Oh, no. I just did not feel like searching. Sorry.” Ghost shrugged.  _ He knew. _

Finn sat up abruptly, the chair that he was sitting on shivered a bit in reaction. Finn yelled at Ghost in what sounded like Spanish, like a German shepherd police dog. But he was a detective instead and did not know how hard Ghost could bite back. Not like Ghost would do so. Ghost was a good person-  _ No, vampire _ ! Vampire with, even though he lies a lot, a responsible personality. He is not a kid, or what Lilith likes to say, he is a mugwump.

Ghost was silent to him, only smiling back.

“None of us equally want to be here in this death trap and is searching for a way out, but you are just relaxing!” I heard Finn shout in rage, and in English, which was indeed pure anger. I kept looking at Ghost though, who seemed to not be listening at all.  _ Neither are you. _

“So far, you haven’t cooperated once. Now I understand what they mean by how you really don’t deserve 123.” Finn finished, thumping back down into his chair. He was breathing a bit harshly, out of breath. By they, he must’ve meant the others. They did not seem like very good friends to back-talk him, but then again, he seemed to be an exception with gossiping at the school, after examining that one girl’s reaction… what was her name? Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore.

Ghost smiled back, sitting like a relaxed cat with no danger. Finally, he sighed, “Well, now that you are done, let me give you some advice before we start our questioning.” Ghost leaned in, not grinning like an idiot anymore.

“You will die.” Ghost bluntly said, looking at him with amused eyes. Cold air blasted around my skin, making me shiver. The cold. It happened again. And this unfamiliar red jacket makes it even colder. The scariest part is that I could not even tell if Ghost was lying or not. Ghost smiled, tilting his head slightly. “That’s a lie. Or… it might not be. Well, that isn’t the advice. 123 can tell any lie from the truth, which makes her also have a hard time telling a lie, which is why the others say she cannot lie,”  _ The others? Don’t you mean we? You literally just said she cannot lie a few minutes ago.  _ “So try not to lie too much.”

Finn tensed up again, covering his mouth as if trying to analyze me, or whatever. Apparently, it either worked or did not, since he instantly stopped. He took another look at Ghost, then me. 

His eyes lit up with a small gleam of something. “Oh. A mentally confused boy and a psychology analysis girl.”

Ghost chuckled a bit. “Thanks. I hate it. A liar and a lie detector. Those are way better. So… This lie detector of mine shall test you since she seems to know something.”

I nodded before asking my question, “Right. Okay… Yes. Alright. Oh, I got it.”

“Just say the question,” Cried Finn, who was furrowing his eyebrows while leaning closer.

I looked blankly at him, “I was getting to that.” I told him, “Okay. What is your Ultimate? Moreover, who are you?” I burned my eyes into his, which were a dark brown, like his hair. He wore a black necklace around his neck, which is where I decided to stop.

“Finn. And I told you I was the Ultimate Detective, didn’t I?” Finn, who seemed to be lying, said. I also noted down how he only used his first name, which meant he did not have one if my guess is right.

Ghost smiled at him. “Was? What are you now?” I nodded.

“Judging by how you did not realize small things like… I forgot, but you missed a bunch of small things. So either the school picked out a bad detective, you’re pretending which I doubt after your rambling on what is wrong and right in this situation, or… Well, the last one seems most likely… Yeah, that makes sense.” I rambled on, placing my lips onto the back of my hand, thinking deeply.  _ So now you know. Finally. Finn was lying about being that because of this situation, he was doing something, but what? _

Feeling something rise in me, which I guessed was excitement, I whispered, “You were protecting someone. Weren’t you, Finn?” Ghost looked at me with a confused look on his face, smiling. Easy deduction. But who would he be protecting?  _ I think it is one of these people here since he has no other reason to lie in this situation. So…  _ I just have to ask all of this guy’s friends here, which is not a lot, fortunately. I would not want to raise concerns since all the others seem stressed.

Finn smiled at me, not answering my question like he promised. I studied the crevasses and noted down how the boy himself seemed sad, plus Finn was tense and seemed confused. He asked a lot of questions, I noticed, and was good friends with the people here. It made me wonder how we, well, they met. I wonder how the past me was… Oh well. It doesn’t matter.

“It’s been one minute and you have yet to answer Finn-Kun.~” Ghost mimicked Yume. So that meant they were close, and most likely close to Lilith too since those two have stuck together even before the killing game was announced. And he seems close to Ku and Neptune too.

Finn’s face grew colder. “No.”

“What are you talking about, Finn-Kun?” Ghost, who actually got the exact tone of her slight Japanese accent went, “Huh? Huh?!” I turned around to find Lilith behind me, waving at me. I looked back at Finn, seeing Yume behind him. They were too quiet when getting in, too shocking. Silence was fine but not when people did that. “Maybe you need knifey in your throaty so your brain gets wakey-wakey?” A shiver visibly went up Finn’s spine. I was glad that Yume didn’t… threaten? Me. What was she even doing?

_ Don’t ask. _

“Um… No thanks.” Finn backed awkwardly away, which seemed odd from my point of view, “I like my throat, thank you very much.” Yume pouted as he sat up, glancing at us, or perhaps Lilith.

“Well, until we meet again, 123.” Finn waved, “And… You seem innocent like how the others described, but you can’t trust others. You are right. Do not trust anyone… but, I guess Ghost can be an exception, after all, he… Well, until we meet again.” Running out in a dash, I stared blankly at the Spanish boy who just interrogated me, lied, then ran. 

_ Another one! Checkmate. See? You can trust Ghost, as he said.  _ I wish you would stop putting thoughts in my head. And what do you mean by checkmate?  _ Not telling you until you find out! Which you definitely will. Just keep on thinking, since that is how YOU find the answer.  _ Ah. 

Saku.

What is his Ultimate? I should ask, just in case. And maybe ask him to take his mask off for me, too. Would he? It doesn’t matter to me though if he does not do any of those. Should I just swallow all of these questions and wait out, stuff everything back inside, would that solve everybody’s unhappiness if I stop going too far. Maybe that was how or why I lost my memories, digging up a mess of yarn that I could not fix in the end.

I’ll hide it for now.

“Hey 123- chan, are you daydreaming? What are you daydreaming about?” Yume asked me, leaning over the table. I eyed at the knife in her duty belt, hoping that she would stop showing it off. Not only do I not like show-offs, but I also dislike people that threaten her friends. But I decided not to tell her that.

“Just thinking about how long we’ll be trapped here,” I said, laying my head down.

Ghost only smiles at me, his red eyes gazing with affection. “Maybe somebody will find us, after all, with fifteen Ultimates that have disappeared. If we had no talent, nobody would care about us.”

“Hey, Ghost,” Lilith calls, sitting down by the chair next to me.

Ghost replies with a simple, “Yes?”

“Stop touching 123. And also, you’re wrong. Leo and Vance would care. And Kai would if he has a heart. So does Tam and Blurple. And Mr. T.” Lilith argues, saying  _ six _ names I did not recognize. I would maybe, if Ghost did not mind, ask. Maybe I will forget though, or maybe he might leave me before that happens.

Oh well.

“Leo would only care about his two brothers and his brother’s girlfriend,” Catguy, Cryboy, and Thing, “and would drag Vance along like he normally does. Kai… stop everybody talking to that jerk, especially 123. Tam is your familiar, which is useless to you and Blurple, I don’t even know where or when Cryboy got that thing, but it’s deadly. And Mr.T… is dangerous.” Ghost argues back, keeping his happy smile tucked into his face. The topic sounded sad. Tam? She named her familiar that? Furthermore, familiar?

“Well, we are dangerous, too!” Yume says in her sing-song voice, throwing her knife in the air without a care.

Lilith sighs, a lost look in her olive eyes.

“Ah. I just realized. Aren’t we, like, the original group?” Ghost wonders, skipping the topic. Maybe he felt uncomfortable too. “But… We are missing him.” him?

“Then we started to make more friends and he disappeared,” Lilith mumbled, lost in thought.

Questions. Too many questions.

How boring. Not knowing anything. But I might be too invasive if I ask.

After a while of silence, I announced I was heading downstairs to them. Then a few more minutes of struggling to leave from a clingy Ghost, a knife-throwing Yume, and a witch named after a demon, I finally left, shutting the door behind me before the others could follow me. I liked this group. They were all very deep in their own worlds but matched very well with each other.

After searching around a bit yesterday, I decided to try to memorize the rooms, since Everyone was clearly not going to allow us to leave so easily.

There were two places you can go to the enormous entrance room. There were four doors, but two being locked, we said two. The East Room, leading to the East hall. The West hall, a direct path going in line with what others call a never-ending path of doors.

The East Room was actually a living room with two doors, one leading to a large warehouse full of basically everything we need, from cat food-  _ Cat food?! Can I eat it?! _ to a million-dollar bills which I believed were fake, then the other leading to the East hall with four large rooms and two bathrooms for each gender which I found was unnecessary. There was a large stage in one of the rooms, with a traditional piano that I could not play. I guess I was not that type of artist then, _ Hey! You might have just forgotten how, too _ . Another was covered with metal, or something and filled with gears, towels, tables, wrenches, nails, paper, and other things that relate to the items said, the smell of bubblegum filling the room. _ Mmmm… Artificial already chewed bubblegum,  _ Ew. Then there was an infirmary and a closet full of its supplies, which was slightly ironic with the fact that we were in a mansion and that we were also in a killing game (not like any of us would participate), Lily seemed to like that room. The last room was locked, or more like that part of the hallway was locked, which most likely lead back to the entrance room.  _ How about a basement?  _

Then there was the West hall, full of exactly seventeen doors. Three living rooms, a trash room with a drowning hole, a garden room, two shower rooms, four bathrooms, two for girls and the other half for boys, a room full of weapons, which was now currently locked, an empty room with nothing but red carpet and a shrine, what looked to be a laundry room, a cleaning room, a computer room, and the dining room, where I had my breakfast in. I would be prepared if another door magically appeared and nobody noticed.

“Where should I head to first…” I muttered under my breath. I knew I did not need to since the voice in my head was in my head but it was necessary enough for me.

_ Why don’t we follow that girl? What was her name again? Everyone? Oh. She changed her look. _

What? _ Follow that girl!  _

Looking around, I found a girl the same height as the Host, quietly walking into the East Room with a sneaky and worried look on her face. She had a different hair color this time, with aqua and green, like the sea in a sunset. She was wearing a red collar shirt and a long black skirt that shuffled a bit.

The scent of roses filled me up as I silently observed her.

Trying to not be found, I wondered where she was going. It was useless to disguise herself since we knew there was nobody like that, plus nobody wanted to kill each other, even if that meant killing Everyone, a way to get out of this place.

I remember her rules, which were quick and brief. She said we were in a killing game, and that there were three ways to end it. To kill her, to have two people left, or to find a way out. Since we all wanted to leave this place without a murder record, we decided to search for an exit, even if Everyone was trapping us here.  _ How can you be so sure that it was she who trapped us? Just because she is the Host? Humans are so rude nowadays!  _ Right, right…

Everyone stopped, glancing around anxiously pulled out a sticky-note from her pocket. It was faded yellow, unlike the ones I saw Noone holding. It seemed she was following directions, perchance she was not the person who trapped us here. But who would it be? And why would she be going along with them? Would it be multiple people? How did they magically make the door disappear? And how does the voice in my head know more things than me?

I cannot keep thinking right now though, I need to watch Everyone. She seemed to be trying to open the locked door to go somewhere. But where? Everyone did not seem to have the key and kept on pushing and pulling on the door.

“The door won’t open, Everyone,” I told her, slowly approaching the beast. She turned to me with a startled look on her face, backing away.

She had amber eyes, long lashes this time, with small hints of blush. And had longer bangs and was wearing expensive-looking earrings with a silver touch.

“Ah? When did you appear?!” She shouted, stuffing her note back into her pocket.

I shrugged. “Just now. What are you doing?”

She uncomfortably rubbed her arm, looking down. “Don’t tell anyone… Please, which I know you will follow. I was trying to go somewhere. But it’s locked.” I nodded, preparing to leave. I did not plan on having a close relationship with her.

“Wait!” I turned around, carrying my bored look. “Um… How have you been?”

I was confused. Did she know me before? Is that why she knew I would not tell the others? Most likely.

“It’s been fine,” I replied, then turned away to leave again. I didn’t understand why the voice in my head wanted me to follow her.


	5. Finn Ortiz-Perez & Sakurashi Leigh

Curiosity.

As a kid, I have always been very curious, which my mom liked to call meddlesome. I was always bothersome, was another thing she liked to say. I liked to question things, simple things to how many numbers are in the alphabet (Which was zero), to more… complex things, like why my mom can’t look me in the eye and why she has never called my name before.

My mom was a detective, otherwise known as the “Psychic”. She was famous for being able to counteract a mystery within a few minutes, which I was very proud of. When I was younger, I always wanted to become like my mom and make her pleased with me. My mom had hazel eyes and blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail and shone like a bright light. No, not just that.

She was the light in my dark life.

She was a wonderful person, so it made no sense to me why she cried every night in her study, staring at a picture of a strange man that looked like me, with black eyes, dark skin, and dark hair, carrying my black necklace around his neck. Of course, the next week, like always, she showed no affection for me at the few times she was home, unlike the man in the picture. 

There was nothing wrong with this happy life of mine, which was perfect.

Then, that man came to our house, begging mom to love him again. She would always reply with a stern look on her face, highlighted by a deep frown and lost eyes. Eventually, she gave up.

Then, she introduced me.

I hated this man, who took all the attention from my mom, my light, even when he wasn’t around. I was a curious kid, so I liked to test things. And pretended like he knew me my whole life, acting so friendly.

So like how I would take out all the legs out of a daddy long-leg to see what would happen, I tested a theory of mine. I stopped looking at my mom’s direction. And not once did she look back at me.

We became strangers.

After a while, I did a job interview which I found on a wall to help my mom, who was having financial problems when the place she was working at closed. I wasn’t helping her because I wanted to, but because her lover, who I learned was my dad has been nice to me ever since he showed up while mom never glanced a look at me, mumbling how intrusive I was.

He was more of a parent figure than she ever was, even when he left us for more than half of my life, which made me question why I used to think of her as a light…

I got the job, which was easy and paid me one-hundred thousand. I had to befriend a few kids my age and around. I didn’t know who my boss was since he chose not to reveal him, but free money and free friends are nothing to complain to.

The first kids were someone called Ku and Neptune, or that’s what my boss calls them. He says that’s not their real names, but it’s best to call them that. My boss sent me a text from my phone, which I didn’t remember giving him, but oh well.

We became friends quickly, with Ku’s liking to my strong personality and Neptune following along with them. I learned that Ku’s full name is Kundershonkulmint, but Neptune never told me her’s. They were brought-in children of a very rich couple, which were illegally staying there. The couple let me stay there, and I still brought money to mom’s house, which was in their mailbox.

The next kid was a girl named Lilith, which my boss told me to call Lilith even though her true name was Lili, the complete opposite. She was one year older than me and often wore a witch hat. And carried around a broom in her school, she got away with it by saying it had something to do with her Ultimate, which was how I learned about this school.

She became friends with me because of a saying she said a lot went with me, which was “How curious”, making me feel very uncomfortable. Along with her, I met Yume, a girl one year younger than me with a very scary look when she smiles, following Lilith everywhere and her sister, Boe. Both of the Nino sisters liked annoying me. 

I told Neptune and Ku that we should go to that school when summer ended, which they agreed to immediately.

After doing so, my room mysteriously had a box full of three stacks of one-hundred thousand, even though two of them weren’t told for me to befriend them. My window was open and had a pink sticky-note saying, “owo”.

I remember so clearly the dead look on my face as I threw it away.

After a while, I tried to search for something similar between all of them. Until my boss told me to stop searching.

My final job was when School started, somebody named Saku, who had two sisters. I learned that he was also a very curious kid, just like me. Somebody that hated dogs that are tall and likes dogs that are short, which was useless information that my boss told me, then he added that his SISTER, not telling me which one, would be the key to figuring out who he was.

Saku was a transfer student, which I met when the teachers told me to help him. They could have asked anyone else, but it was me, and when I asked them, they shrugged and said it was… Confidential. What the flip does confidential mean!? Saku asked me a strange request after that...

And now here I am, in a killing game with all my friends, literally learning who my boss is.

“Ah. You just realized? It’s a good thing 123’s gone at least.” Ghost said, with a sigh. He smiled at me, then opened his eyes with a strange gleam. “You do know how much she means to me.” His smile seemed pissed, or pitiful. Ghost, a white boy with crimson red eyes was sitting next to me on a red couch in the living room that his group had, legs crossed and reading a pale blue book, with words that I couldn’t understand. It was definitely not Spanish. Or English.

I scoff.

“You were my boss?” I ask in a rude voice, “How the heck do you own so much money? And why did you give a kid a job to ‘make friends’, or post a job to make friends? And why did you flipping pretend to hide it? And why did you hire me? And most importantly, why are you here, or rather, do you know anything about this killing game or the Host?!” Even if he was my boss, he was a jerk, and it always felt colder when I was near him which made me mad.

“owo!” He said in a soft, cute voice, looking at me with a cat-like smile. If I didn’t know him, then I might’ve thought of him as a girl. That image mentally scarred me. 

“Stop acting!” I nearly screamed. I knew the rooms were nearby but soundproofed. I did not mean his cutesy act, which was indeed annoying me, but his ENTIRE act.

He stopped smiling, looking at me with sympathizing eyes. Ghost tilted his head, but not in a perplexed way. “Yes, I am your supposed boss. And I got all that money from my ‘business’, which is for… Well, let’s just say you helped 123 make more friends. The reason why I gave you this job at such a young age for a human is so is because I wanted to make you happy.” Ghost said with an awful dull stare in those glowing red eyes. Happy? Have I ever felt that way these past few years?

“Huh?” I said, shocked.

He tore his gaze away from me and uncrossed his legs.

“I… have lived my life very… abnormally. And 123 took notice in that at some point. She gave me tasks, very abnormal tasks, one of them sadly is that she took an interest in you, too.” He explained to me.

“123? That doesn’t sound like something she would do?”

He just smiled, continuing, “It was… to make you die.” Ah. That couldn’t possibly be 123.

“Or maybe I’m lying.~” He later teased me, making me angry, “You choose since even I cannot tell whether that is a lie, too… Heh heh.” What does he mean? Did that mean he was trying to make my life more happy before I died? How did I know if he was even telling the truth?

“...”

He continued. “So! I’m truly sorry, but here you go, Mr. Fake detective! It’s a good thing 123 got distracted from that because she gets bored easily in those types of interactions. Nah, she actually likes those. Only when she knows the answer.” Ku, if it was him, would say back, ‘That’s like replaying a trivia game over and over, getting the same answer!’ or, ‘Capital D in Detective. Gosh, that sounds so wrong… Don’t make me say that again’ If he even had the backbone to talk back to this boy. They all seemed afraid of him, well, except for 123, Noone, and Conner. All the black-haired people grouped together.

Doesn’t that get boring? And you aren’t making sense.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He muttered softly as he pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a key.

“What does this do?” I asked, examining it with deep interest. It was a rosemary color in gold, with a piece of blue yarn tied to it. It was slightly rusted, with old carved lines in it. The key itself had no notches, or whatever the useful part of the was called, but instead had a sharp edge at the tip with slight bumps.

My heart pounded as I grabbed it, examining it more as I spoke, “What is this?”

“A key. owo.” The red-eyed jerk went again and I felt ready to punch him in that pretty face of his.

“Yeah, but what for?!” I shouted at him, who stared blankly back like how 123 does. I flinched a bit at this sudden change but stared back.

“Follow the shadow.” He whispered, then sprinted off, most likely to 123.

I had so many questions, but I could answer a few.

He seemed to be giving me the choice of dying or not since he didn’t try to kill me, which made sense in this killing game, but even so, if I chose yes, would he actually kill me..?

So, like a test, I did my experiment.

Following the shadow cast from the walls in the mansion, which strangely went somewhere. I ended up by the third floor’s stairs, covered by a large gate. It had a small lock, which I suspected was where I put it. If… If I went up here, would I… die? Not like anybody would notice, after all, I’m not an Ultimate, just a pretend like Saku requested in order for me to become friends with him.

I hope Ku and Neptune become happy together, since I have noticed their relationship, and I wish Neptune would stop holing up all her feelings and that Ku won’t curse my name when I die like he does whenever I lose a team game.

I hope Lilith would stop thinking about the past, and move on, and stop saying that annoying line of “How curious”. And the Boe sisters stop forcing themselves so much and look for others help more.

I wish Saku would stop wearing that mask, and let us look at his face, to stop being so insecure about himself and his Ultimate. For Lily to worry about herself more, after being a case my mom did and landed with the conclusion of suicidal attempt.

Then there is Ghost, who is feared by his friends and clings to 123, who puts an act on his whole personality, who wished me happiness and gave me a choice on whether I really wanted to do this… I wish that this red-eyed boy, Ghost, that jerk gave me this key so I can help them.

My mom… My dad… I wish that they die.

Well… I unlocked the door, hesitating to either run up or cautiously walk up. I knew that backing out wasn’t an option anymore.

I’m doing it… I’ll die!

Then, my throat was suddenly making me choke, and I felt a pain in it as somebody carefully took my necklace away from me, then everything flashed red. Then black, and colder than anything I have felt before.

But I wasn’t dead. But, who was I to question how Ghost did that?

I was curious. And I am very proud of that. But as they say, curiosity kills the man. Or is it the cat?

Screams.

An awfully loud sound to wake up to out of your door.  _ Was somebody finally dead?  _ Shut up, voice in my head.

I woke up with a groan, looking to see Ghost peacefully staring at my sleeping face as the screams got louder, his red eyes seeming lost, and sad.

He stared at me as I got up, looking up, Noone was still not here. Or maybe he just went to sleep late and woke up early?  _ Not good for a growing boy, give him some credit, he’s smarter than that. _

I decided to go check on whoever was pounding on the door so loudly, which Ghost paid no attention to.

I opened it to find a panicked golden-haired boy with a dragon jacket and a fidgety pretty girl, with scarred eyes filled with tears dripping out, as if something was wrong.

“What is it? Is Finn dead?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. Finn seemed to be the most likely candidate to die, after all, he was pretending to be the Ultimate Detective and even being surrounded by friends, that meant some stupid person would kill him, fearing that the game would end too easily with his help. But… hopefully, it was just a hunch.

Their faces went shocked, pale, but they were now silent.

That meant yes.

“Ah… Let me see the body.” I asked, more in a demanding way. I decided that having a blank face and calm voice would calm me down too, but there was nothing to calm down. I found this… suspected?

They rushed out, pulling my arm with a tight grip. We stopped at the front of the gate to the stairs.

By it, was a gruesome scene that both Ku and Neptune looked away from.

Then, suddenly, everything went cold, surrounding my skin like a snowstorm at its peak.

It was Finn, and he was lying on the ground, with a deep red scar in the back of his neck in a line that seemed to be started down. His eyes were rolled over but his mouth was tightly sealed. Blood, REAL dried blood seemed to have been spilling out of the wound in his neck, a sensitive spot on people and often used in nooses and guillotines. The boy was tightly holding onto something in his hand, which I slowly peeled away from his.  _ Is he dead?  _

Yes.

It was a key, to the third floor. Then somebody killed him.  _ Gosh, so cliche. _

This… This meant this officially marked the beginning of this game.

_ Can I eat his dog? Can I eat his corpse? _

Let’s talk about this later.

I stared at the body more. His hair was still neat like how it was. Finn’s necklace was gone, too. And… Oh.

“Oh me, oh my. Don’t stare at him with such a blank face, 123.” A new voice went. I turned around to find a ruffled Lilith, tightly nudging my arm.

“Oh. Sorry.” I apologized. “I was just observing the body, in case it said anything of who was the killer. Since the Ultimate Detective is gone, that means somebody wants him gone... Or more.” Lilith gazed at the body before quickly turning away with tears in her eyes.

“Y-yeah. Thou…No, I know.” Lilith agreed, putting her head down. “I just don’t like how you didn’t even look shocked at the body.”

“Sorry.” I apologized again.

I turned to my left, to find Everyone kneeling down to touch the body with a strange look on her face. Was it fear?. The others seemed to have noticed her too, and quickly turned hostile.

“Why are YOU here as well?” Ku asked, throwing her a glare.

“Did you kill him?” Lilith asked, still staring down. She mistakenly included, “Monster.”

She threw a glare back, except at everybody here, deliberately missing my stare.

Everyone seemed to not have been in a good mood. Maybe because she hasn’t had food yet?“Monster? Monster?!” She shouted in anger, “The monster here, is all of you guys! Do you think I just blindly chose everybody here just so I could kill all of you? I’m not even-” She ended it in a shaky voice, widening her eyes as though she just realized what she was saying, ”Ugh, ignore what I said… I guess I should explain what happens after this.”  _ You better imprint those words she just said into your head if you want to not have your head explode.  _ Huh.

“After this?” I ask, “Do we have to clean up the body because they can’t.”

Everyone made a disgusted face before seeming amused by my answer. “No. Now, you have to find the murderer to you brats.”

“What? You didn’t tell us that there was more to this than just killing.” Ku said, furrowing his golden brows.

Everyone snorts, as though it is obvious why. It must be because she knew we were all friends and connected in some way, which would lower our chance of killing each other, so if she told us that, then it must be related to helping us want to kill each other. It must be related to finding the killer… So, a penalty when we find the killer.  _ What a wonderful thought. What if we don’t manage to find him/her? _

“When we find the killer… there will be a penalty for them…” I muttered.

“If you manage to find the killer, they die. Yay!” Everyone cheers, “Correct choice again!” More penalty than I came to a conclusion with. She sounded slightly sarcastic too, which made me feel uneasy.

“Perchance we try to not come to the conclusion of who among us to claim as taken F-Finn’s life, will something take action upon us?” Neptune asked.  _ If we get the wrong person, what will happen? Is what she is saying.  _ Thanks… 

“Um…” Everyone hesitated. Did she not know the answer to her question? Has she not thought that far? Or does she just not understand the words Neptune has said.

Everyone’s eyes lit up. “Oh, now I know what you were saying.” She said, “Well… Then, all of you die if it is all of you, but when only one person is wrong, their entire team dies if I remember correctly… Bye for now. And don’t tell others, only you five can participate.” Five? _ Six, seven ate nine, then seven ate ten.  _ She disappeared again, with the body magically, which wasn’t my worry after seeing a door disappear and being in the middle of a killing game. But wouldn’t they need the body to investigate? 

I glanced around. There was Lilith, with her witch hat. There was Neptune and Ku. There was me. Then there was Saku and Lily.

“Ah? That’s six people.” I say out loud. Neptune took a glimpse at the others.

“If that is accurate, then please allow me to let Ku go back to what he was doing,” Neptune asked, holding his hand.

“Me? No way! Finn is dead..! I’m not just going to idly stand by.” Ku argued, which was a clear refusal, “You should since two of your team is here and you have a hard time staring at bodies, unlike Lily… Although Lilith’s condition is worst.” I looked at Lilith, who indeed looked like she was ready to barf, even when the body was gone.

“By team, do you mean the groups we paired ourselves in for the bedrooms?” Lily asked. Ku nodded. Neptune furrowed her brows.

“I agree with him,” I spoke. His reasoning made more sense than Neptune’s.

Neptune glanced at me, and with a nod, then walked to her group’s sewing room. “I shall stay in my room if you find anything to ask me.” I waved silently.

“Alright, let’s observe the evidence.” Saku started, speaking in a calm and patient voice to all of us, which I found was surprisingly annoying, like how an old man would talk to you after you lose your parents although he can’t understand how it feels. I nodded. “So could anybody but me and 123 manage to stare at the body?” Lily raised her hand, saying, “I only stared at it for a short while and didn’t pay too much attention.” Nobody corrected that we should respect the dead and call him he instead of it, not even Ku, who seemed to enjoy correcting people. Although I’ve only seen Ku do that to Finn… Not like that is my worry right now.

There was no evidence left except for the dried blood and Finn’s necklace.

“Good. Okay, so even though we were all good friends with the Ultimate Detective, we have to use our common knowledge and ignore our feelings. Can you handle that, Ku? Lilith? Lily?” Saku went.

“But-!” Ku was about to go but stopped with a grim face. He nodded, picking up Finn’s necklace.

The others all agreed with him as I took charge, “So, let’s go… To a better room to think in and so the others don’t ask why we are standing in the middle of a pool of dried blood, follow me.” Heading quietly past the other rooms, we entered the empty room for CATguy’s group. The reason why I chose this room is because it is soundproof, which meant we could actually divulge any things while not feeling any need to whisper or keep secret.

Ku was the first one to speak after all of us entered the cube room which mysteriously had no lights, with its name, it was empty like one might suggest, with nothing but walls of the color white. “So…” He hesitated, taking a quick but precise glance around the room, then tore his gaze to everyone around the room. He shivered, flinching as though in pain. I heard people had to endure the mental pain of death in order to get over them, which sounded like a big pain. Sorry Ku, but I can’t sympathize with you, not like I would try anyway since I’m bad with words.

“So one of our team is gone, due to another. A traitor! A mob boss! Death... I-I declare with special skill cast ‘investigation’!” Ku shouts, spouting out strange sayings that were probably related to games, though it was a strange way of coping with your best friend’s death. I remember, if I can trust my memory, that there were about five stages to accepting death. I wonder if that was what he was going through. “F-Finn’s level 49 charm necklace of the dead didn’t work! A lie!”

“Didn’t work? Necklace of the dead?” Lilith asked, widening her eyes. “Wait! Let me look!” I had no idea what they were going on about, but it seemed interesting, and perhaps it had something to do with his death since it was off his body and there was a stab in his neck when we found his body. Though that could be wrong.

“What- Are you guys okay?” Lily asked in worry. She seemed as concerned and as confused as me.

They looked at her, not fazed by her concern.  _ I guess you could say, ‘Lilith the witch’ and ‘Ku the dragon’ avoided the enemy’s attack, wait… No! They placed a barrier of the necklace of death!  _ What?

“ Your true question must be what are we doing. Ah, Lily! I never knew you knew the skill of ‘hiding motive’!” Ku answered in response, “Lilith was about done looking anyway, so don’t worry. It’s just magic talk like usual.” 

“Magic talk, magic talk,” Saku muttered under his breath quietly, looking deep in concentration underneath his paper bag mask. Then he paused and began to reveal the mystery of Finn’s death.

This is incredibly frustrating. Even if I was used to that.

Lilith, somebody that I respect, was talking about magic with Ku, a non-delusional person. Magic talk! I was not one to believe that they just called it magic -but that’s not the point right now.

What’s frustrating is that these four together: 123, Ku, Lilith, and Lily did not try to even start to talk about Finn.

I imagined his face. With dark brown locks that curled slightly at the end, and eyes that glowed with certainty and curiosity for the planet to bear. Milk chocolate-colored skin with light touches of sunburns and scratches from who knows where that went away after a few minutes, both truths worried me even when Finn told me not to worry about, which made my apprehension grow for the curious boy. That just made me think of his dead face. In this instance… He would be questioning everybody. Even the people he trusts the most to the dangerous ones, even Ghost, which he seemed uncertain about to. He would be questioning everything.

Heck, if I put it that way, it makes him seem like a better detective than me. I bet he would hate that.

123 stares at me, and suddenly, my stress goes away. Like how a therapy dog can work, except by just using her eyes, she can take it away. I hated how she could do that and not give a care. She always seemed to not worry about anything. Even now, she has that deadly blank stare that could burn a hole into your face. The thought of her being superman with gun laser beams for eyes was uncomfortable to think about as she stares at me.

I’m sure she was expecting me to do something. I wouldn’t want to let her down.

I took a deep breath before starting. Then let my thoughts burst out like I had the whole world to myself. “Finn. Finn had something in his hand. He was in front of the third stairs. He was… dead.” A voice, most likely mine, was saying, grabbing everybody’s attention in a death ridden way. It was the only technique that I felt would work in this, sorry. A shiver went up my spine as I remembered how peaceful he looked. I remember not being able to tear my eyes away, wanting to cry, wanting to shut myself in a room and never come out. And that I couldn’t do anything except find out the killer, which was supposedly one of our friends. I hated it all.

“Yeah?” Lily went, “What about it?”

“And one of us killed him,” I replied, staring at her through the paper bag I hid myself in. If it was off, I probably wouldn’t be able to talk to Lily like this. I didn’t want to after everything she’s done for me, but I needed to desperately grab their attention. Somebody was dead! Why weren’t they caring?

“W-wait.” She said, startled by my tone of voice. I never spoke to her this way. And she probably thought I had no backbone. “How do we know somebody killed him? He could’ve fallen off the stairs.” Was she stupid?- Wait, stop thinking so harshly. She most likely doesn’t want to suspect anybody.

“No. It can’t be that.” 123 argues, bringing herself into our debate. “You were looking at Finn’s body too, even if you weren’t paying much attention to it. You should’ve noticed how there was a sharp weapon-like injury behind his neck. And how would he have fallen too? Plus, Everyone must know who the murderer in order for us to get it wrong or right, so there is a murderer.” That seemed valid enough. And I know 123’s words are trustworthy. She thought a bit like me.

“But that thought… sounds impossible.” Lily muttered in a fearful voice. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it works, my dear sister, you think that way since you always were sheltered by sister.

“Thou- that sounds correct. So a sharp object… Oh no.” Lilith’s face darkened as she muttered, “They better have not… no, they wouldn’t. Would they?”

Was she in the process of suspecting of Yume? I doubt it would be Boe, but… I really don’t want to suspect Boe especially. Ugh. They are too young. Why would we even participate in this? Everyone told us to forget that she called us monsters and that she purposely brought all of here. Monsters… That fits us in a terrible way. We are all outcasts, with no certain place to belong to. But Finn isn’t! He brought most of us together and 123 has nothing wrong with her except with the fact she isn’t very good at talking. Monster… That fits Ghost more than anybody here. More than the few strangers here: Fiona, Conner, Noone. I remember Noone didn’t head to their group’s quarters last night.

“No, there are knives in the kitchen. Do you want to go check if any are missing? Everyone might’ve tafe- taken away the body, but we can still check.” 123 said. Did she just mispronounce a word? That would have been slightly funny if not for this situation. Anyways...

That was a good idea.

We headed downstairs to investigate, which probably made us look suspicious. Us five usually didn’t group together like this. Then again, it didn’t matter what I thought in this type of situation, Finn’s death was more important. Whoever murdered him was a cruel person.

It couldn’t be Yume or Boe, not just in their defense. They most likely already knew somebody was going to die soon since they are always suspicious of others, and they only kill… Which they have unfortunately have, with a plan. They wouldn’t kill someone so in the open if it hypothetically it wasn’t Finn. Ugh… this… I really did wish that it wouldn’t end this way, I have to accept it.

When will I wake up from this horrible dream?

We started to investigate the kitchen with strange awkwardness floating around, building higher tension. Ku didn’t look so good anymore. The kitchen was filled with checkered floors and the old smell of tasty aromas, which did not make me any hungrier after seeing a dead man.

Glancing around, I observed the others. Hypothetically, it would make sense if the murderer was with us. To make them not look suspicious. I shook my head, but still observed them.

Everyone was in their own world. 123 was constantly counting all the objects underneath her breath as if she counted all the items before and her abnormal calm face. She was muttering strange words to herself in some strange language. I wonder if she learned that language from her origin home. I’ll ask 123 that someday, after all, she always speaks that language when she mutters, which was underneath one of my notes for her. Then there was Ku, rapidly searching through each and every cabinet in a hurry, which made me worry if he knew why we were searching down here. Lily was investigating like 123, pulling out all the weapons, though less of an impact than 123. Lilith seemed to be staring at a few items with curiosity, then abruptly losing interest and moving onto the next one.

“Oh?” Lilith went, “How curious.”

I walked over to her side and went to see what was going on. She told me that there was indeed a knife missing. A shiver went up my spine.

“Maybe Thing was using it and forgot to put it back, or maybe it’s by the sink,” Lily argued.

I shook my head. “Thing hasn’t woken up yet.” I didn’t want to explain it any further.

“How do you know that? You aren’t in the same group as me.” Lily explained. That was so stupid, and they didn’t even sleep in the same room! And I lived in the same group with CATguy and Cryboy, so anything she said about Thing was less valid when those two were involved.

“CATguy.” I boldly said, sounding done with her.

She paused, then blushed.

We investigated more, finding small parts of the story of how he died. It made some of us confused, while others started to understand it more… and then there was 123. I couldn’t read any of her expressions, but I felt a strange presence in her again, but like always, when I was about to ask her, HE appears.

I never liked him, and I only put up with him since my friend, 123 could put up with him. When we were alone, he would get all serious and lied with no body language. I personally thought he was creepy, always appearing whenever he wanted to and then spouting crap. MY notes on him weren’t too clear on him, and when I asked him to come to my room once, he immediately went, “Oh no, sir prince. Unless you want to show me your notes,” He knew things. I did not have too much information on him either.

“Oh, hello Ghost.” 123 said, raising her head intently. I turned behind me to find a black-haired boy with red eyes. He stared sharply at me, then smiled at 123.

“Hi there, 123. What are you doing?” Ghost asked, tilting his head.

123 didn’t answer but stared back at him, knowing something. “...Good job.” He perked up, “For not sticking to me, I mean.” His head went back down and his smile went back to normal. What a weirdo.

“Alright. Well, where are you heading?” He asked.

123 continued to not say anything about it, but seeing her lie for the first time was fascinating. “Lily’s dead.” Wait… what? Ghost smiled at her with his red eyes turning to me again. I looked away and pulled 123 along to the other three, who were just noticing them. And then, suddenly, we were interrupted.

This will be frustrating.

_ Ding! _

_ Dong! _

_ Bing! _

_ Boong! _

_ “*Cough, cough* Um… Is this working?”  _ It was an unfamiliar voice, male’s, clear, around their adult age. Everybody looked up to where nobody was, but speakers.  _ “Oh? It is? Well then, let’s get started. Everybody, please head to the Entrance Hall, if you decide not to, then please prepare to see yourself dead. Is that how it works? You see yourself? Anyway…”  _ And then suddenly, it cut off.

I looked down to see Ghost has disappeared, left, and 123 was looking around.

“Um… Do you guys want to head to the Entrance Hall?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck. Ku nodded, looking even worse now. Lilith and Lily looked confused, but Lilithseemed to be confused in a sense of who the man was, rather than Lily. I too was wondering who that was. But right now was not an appropriate time to stop.

We headed to the Entrance Hall, finding one of the two doors that were locked, unlocked. We glanced in wary before heading in.

This was not going to be very fun, now will it?

Entering the quiet room, I sighed and took a careful glance around the room. Precise but not too alarming would be a sentence on how to describe this strange place. It was filled with bright LED lights and colorful books on the shelves on one side of the far walls, which if I must note down, was written in swirls and squares on the sides. Seventeen desks surrounding each other in a perfect circle, which made it seem strangely eerie making me shiver. Was this really happening?

“Hey Saku, are you alright?” A feminine voice asked me from behind in a flat voice.123. “Hey Saku. Wake up. Or I’ll kill you!” A different voice, higher pitch and slightly annoyed.

I snapped out of it, turning to look at the girl calling for me. It was Boe, standing all mighty in her small, too young self. She jumped at me and yelled in my ear before banging her head to mine. “You jerk!” She started obnoxiously crying. 

“What’s wrong, Boe?” I asked in a sigh.

She started talking. “Onee-san tried to kill me. Again!” What? And why does she only respect Yume enough to call her that?

I glanced at Yume, who gave me a disturbing grin. “I woke up in the middle of the night, and since it was too dark, I accidentally went to the same bed as Boe and almost slammed my back into her.” I decided my attention shouldn’t be focused on Boe, babbling on about how Yume most definitely tried to kill her or something but turned it to how awkward Neptune and Ku were acting.

“Why were we called here?” Ghost asked 123 with a good-guy-smile, who was staring off into a picture from a book she pulled out. It was a preschooler’s book, with pictures, on cadavers. A preschooler’s book on dead bodies. I wouldn’t regularly put those words together. I guess it would be for beginner medical students.

“123?” I called as she carefully flipped the page. It showed the human brain. Disgusting. “123.” 123 turned her attention to me with dead eyes. Obviously, she was upset.

She opened her mouth, about to say something, but quickly stopped as the male’s voice spoke again from some sort of speaker.

_ “Well, it seems to me that everyone is in that room. So I guess you can beg-”  _ The speaker stopped, then continued.  _ “Oh. Sorry. The- the thing, what’s it called? The remote thing just suddenly shut off after I pressed it. Is that supposed to happen? Anyways, you can begin, not beg, I’m- I’m not into that. Um… How do you shut it off-”  _

“Huh. I guess he pressed the button again. I wonder  .” 123 muttered to herself.  It was right to be curious about stuff, but when you find out somebody’s dead?  I could laugh at how much attention she paid attention to that trivial fact, but with the fact that I had a small hunch of why we were all brought into one room, I couldn’t laugh.  I probably wouldn’t even laugh if Ghost got punched in the face right now. At least I hope I wouldn’t.

“Begin what?” Boe asked questioned, narrowing her eyes as she looked around again. “And where is None and that the detective guy, Fish?” I widened my eyes a bit as I remembered Finn’s body. Ugh… I feel sick now. Gee, thanks brat. And None, the little black-haired boy, where was he?

“Probably…” Neptune whispered. “I don’t want to be here.” I caught Ku staring at her.

“Good morning, good morning Everyone!” Everyone shouted, coming from the doors to the room. “Good morning to you too, Everyone.” She replied to herself.

“Good afternoon, Everyone. How are you doing?” 123 greeted the enemy with a calm expression. Why did she have to be so neutral? It’s annoying. Could it even be neutral as much as too trusting? How can you describe how composed she seems as she greets some stranger who purposely trapped all of us here, and knowing somebody close to us was killed BECAUSE of it.

Everyone, now changed in a 1700’s rich European style, with a huge dress and fancy rose pink dress, laced gloves, sunset shaded hair up into perfectly symmetric twin drills, gun in hand- Wait, gun in hand? Everyone blankly stared at 123 for .5 seconds and then turns away with red in her face. Huh… Weird. 

Why did she change her look again too?  But her eyes are the same. Alright.

“I really like that gun in your hand. A .357 Magnum? Cool. It’s pretty powerful.” 123 continued, pressing her face closer. How did she know the name of the gun?

“Hey 123, “Ghost whined, “You still haven’t answered my question.” abruptly resting her head on her shoulder. He pulled 123 closer to him, further from Everyone, with a smile towards the enemy. Whether if it was friendly or threatening, I could care less about him. Not too much as care less about him as being intimidation. 

She turned her regard to him. “Alright.” Everyone glared at him for a second. Ghost didn’t seem to notice.

“Anyways,” Everyone turned toward all of us smile on her face, hands on hips and head up. “You are probably wondering why I asked you to come here-”

“What if we aren’t?” Yume asked.

“Excuse me? Anyways,-”

“This is the fourth time you said anyways, just get to the point!” Boe shouted. Those sisters sure do love to annoy. Makes me wonder why I’m such an easy target.

“Alright, fine!” Everyone shouted out of frustration. “Someone’s dead.” That ought to shut them up. Wait. Wait, what? Did she just announce it?

I heard someone gasp.

“Somebody died? Who did?” Fiona asked, narrowing her eyes. Fiona. I’m not sure who Fiona is, other than that she was an Ultimate, because she was always at those weird parties on Saturday that the school recommended for us to go to (By us, I mean the Ultimates). I haven’t seen her much on the first day, but I remember encountering her once.

I was walking around the first floor, taking in locks of the doors and smelling in intoxicating smell of flowers. I was in the East corridor through the left door in the Entrance Hall, taking a right before we went into the storage. I was noting down how huge the farthest room was, with red curtains and a black traditional piano on top of a grand stage, seats filling up the rest of the room It would be impressive if not obnoxious. Why have a piano room in a mansion, which is already grand enough.

Before I left, a sudden clunk echoed through this massive room, repeating itself over and over. 

“Hello?” I asked, cautiously glancing around. Why would someone be hiding?.. Would be my question if not for the obvious answer since the strange person called “Everyone” announced the killing game. But who would it be? Ghost? Fiona? 

My second guess was right. Fiona burst out with a frantic face and a strange notebook in front of her chest. Her two ponytails were just as neat as before and brown eyes as ever the same.

“Oh.” I said in a neutral voice, “It’s you.” The person who liked Ghost, is what I labelled her as. I knew many people in our grade liked Ghost because they didn’t know his true self, only judging while watching him talk to 123. I was very curious about 123 and Ghost’s relationship, but not right now.

“Y-yeah.” she awkwardly shuffled. That was something 123 does often when she didn’t know what to do. Did she do that on purpose? Does she know? Or am I thinking too deep on this like always?

“Why were you hiding?” I blurted out. I had to know because it only made sense.

Surprisingly, she instantly told me with a trustful face, “Well, I-I was just here to investigate, but then that black-haired kid came in and started playing the piano like  _ woosh and-  _ it, it was really amazing. But if I went out, he’d stop.” I looked around, but “that black-haired kid” wasn’t around. It made me remember how 123 and Ghost were talking about how he went missing. I’d be more than happy to help 123.

“But he left, went up somewhere in this room,” Fiona added, eyeing my loud paper bag on my face as it moved. I looked up, but the bag wasn’t letting me see everything. 

I uncomfortably shook my head, as well as the bag. “Can you look away for a second?” I asked. She seemed to nod, or whatever it’s called when you nod your head so much it looks like it is about to fall off. 

The second she turned away, I threw off the bag and ran to the staff door in the corner, trying my best to open the door. It wouldn’t open

“Oh.” Fiona muttered, “Forgot to mention. He had a key.” Wow. That- she’s a complete idiot.

I wanted to turn around and glare at her. But then she might just see my face. How frustrating.

And then I left. That was how our meeting went. Awkward and weird, just like how you could slice any part in the body and it would have different effects.

  
**THIS IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ.**

**THIS STORY WILL NOT BE CONTINUED BUT REDID.**

**THIS TIME, IT WILL BE DIFFERENT AND MAKE MORE SENSE. SORRY ABOUT THAT.**

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out Danganronpa V3, a game... Of, you know, because that's where I got my inspiration for the story from. ok, and tell me if there are any mistakes. bye.


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